# # # # # # # Types of Funds - Community Foundation of Middle TN - Nashville, TN # # # # # # # # #
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Make a Gift or Start a Fund

It’s about taking what you can give and making it meaningful for both you and those who will ultimately benefit. It’s not about the size of the gift; every gift matters.

Give to support a cause, address an issue or help a charitable organization. You can start your own fund, give to an existing fund, or give directly to Middle Tennessee nonprofits.

Types of Funds

Unrestricted Funds:

This fund offers the greatest flexibility in responding to the community’s changing needs and allows The Foundation to address issues as they emerge. By creating unrestricted funds, donors create a legacy that will grow and change as their community does.

Field-of-Interest Funds:

This fund allows donors to support broad areas of interest, such as education, the arts, the environment, or youth services. Through competitive grants to organizations working in the fund’s defined area of interest, donors can make an impact in a lasting, meaningful way.

Designated Funds:

This fund supports one or more nonprofit organizations the donor selects. Donors may establish a designated fund, ensuring continuous gifts to their favorite charitable organization and perpetuating their charitable goals.

Agency Endowment Funds:

This fund is created by a nonprofit to protect charitable dollars for the future of their work and mission. Through this type of fund, nonprofits build endowment guaranteed to receive prudent stewardship, while providing a lasting source of income.

Scholarship Funds:

This fund, a specific type of Field-of-Interest Fund, helps students pursue their academic goals and can be established by companies, organizations, families, or individuals. Scholarships may have merit or need-based criteria, and can be designed to assist students from a certain school, a designated community, or those entering specific fields of study.

Donor-Advised Funds:

Donor-advised funds permit donors to participate in the funding process by suggesting grants to nonprofit organizations. This type of fund provides convenience and flexibility by allowing donors to support various charitable organizations over time through one initial donation. For some, this is an attractive alternative to a private foundation.

Learn more about Donor-Advised Funds