Community & Designated Funds

Many donors find community and designated funds attractive options to help them meet their philanthropic goals.  SWIF has all the expertise and resources to establish and administer these funds.

As a rural community foundation, the Southwest Initiative Foundation provides a full array of options for donors to meet their unique philanthropic goals.  Many donors find community and designated funds attractive options that allow them to stay involved with how the assets are used, but relieve them of the administrative responsibilities that can often become overwhelming for families and volunteers.

One benefit of Community Foundation Funds is the valuable source of grant funding they’ve become for local communities.  Since SWIF’s grantmaking is targeted to projects related to our current priority areas, our Community Foundation Funds often fill a valuable niche by funding worthwhile projects that don’t fit within our current grant criteria.  Since inception, community foundations administered by SWIF have contributed $444,000 to various community projects and programs, providing resources to address the needs and priorities of individual communities in southwest Minnesota.

Designated Funds are established with a minimum gift of $10,000 or as little as $1,000 in seed money and a viable plan to grow the fund to a minimum of $10,000 within five years.  Options for a designated fund include Agency Funds, Designated Grant Funds, Donor-Advised Funds, Field of Interest Funds and Scholarship Funds.