Getting Started

If you have a family member or friend whose life has been touched by the El Dorado Community Foundation, we hope you'll consider making a gift to us in honor of that person. Providing a gift establishes a living tribute that allows you to:

• honor a loved one or yourself;
• support our continuing efforts; and
• receive personal financial benefits from your contribution.

You may feel reluctant to condition your gift upon personal recognition. Yet allowing us to use your name or the name of a loved one can inspire philanthropy in others and further a cause that's important to you.

Giving Now or Later

Any charitable gift you arrange can be made in honor of someone. Consider these two basic methods of establishing an honorary gift.

A gift today—An outright gift can help fund our immediate needs or an upcoming project. The financial benefits include an income tax deduction and possible elimination of capital gains tax.

A gift through your will—You can include a bequest in your will, stating that a specific asset, certain dollar amount or—more commonly—a percentage of your estate will pass to us at your death in honor of your loved one.

No matter which basic method you choose, you have the ability to endow your gift so that it lasts forever. Endowments are structured so that a small portion of your gift, rather than the whole amount, is used each year to fund a particular purpose. To perpetuate the fund forever, the majority of the fund always remains intact and is invested for the future.

Your Next Step

Making an honorary gift is a wonderful way to acknowledge someone's vision for the future. Depending on the nature of your gift, there are a variety of ways we can recognize your generosity. Please contact us at the El Dorado Community Foundation to learn more about ways to recognize your honoree.