What do community foundations do ?

• Pool the charitable gifts of many donors into permanent, income-earning endowment funds to benefit the community. Expenditures are customarily made from earnings rather than capital, thus ensuring future ability to support deserving public efforts.
• Initiate desirable public projects themselves and make grants from the earnings on invested funds to support a wide range of local initiatives - health, education and social services, arts, culture, heritage and the environment.
• Provide leadership in their communities by bringing people together from all sectors to identify and address improvements in public places, spaces and services.

Canada's 81 community foundations hold combined assets of nearly $1 billion. They make over $50 million a year in grants to support local priorities across the country. The Halifax Foundation has close to $1 million in assets.

Who gives to community foundations ?

All kinds of people. Many types of gifts - legacies, cash, real estate, securities and life insurance - are contributed to community foundations. Donors can choose to support broadly or designate a favourite cause. Flexibility is the key. Community foundations provide many services to donors to help them make the most of their charitable gifts. Gifts to The Halifax Foundation qualify as charitable contributions for income tax purposes.

Charities can also place their endowment funds with community foundations in order to economize on administration, staff costs, and to benefit from greater returns on their investments.

Water Fountain at Sullivans Pond in Historic Downtown Dartmouth