Getting Started

Silicon Valley Community Foundation is the region's leader for innovative charitable solutions. Our expert team provides personalized service and flexibility in charitable giving so you can focus on the joy and excitement of making a difference.

The community foundation provides select forms and policies online to facilitate the process of creating or managing a charitable fund. Be sure to look over the many types of funds we offer to find out which one fits your charitable goals.

Open a Fund
Description

Make your charitable giving easier by making grants to your favorite nonprofits from one fund.

A small group of like-minded people pool their contributions towards a common charitable purpose.

Choose your level of participation with a donor involved or community foundation managed scholarship fund.

Offers a great way to turn memorial gifts into a lasting legacy in your loved one's name.

Establishing an Advised Fund Packet (PDF)
All the forms needed to establish a donor advised, committee advised, scholarship or memorial fund.

Support your favorite charitable organization in perpetuity or over a set number of years.

Create a resource to support the causes you care about deeply.

Support the communities within Santa Clara and San Mateo counties in perpetuity and leave a lasting legacy.

Establishing a Fund Packet (PDF)
All the forms needed to establish a designated, field of interest or named endowed fund.

Creating a Corporate Advised Fund
Contains all of the information and forms needed to establish a corporate advised fund.

Creating a Nonprofit Fund
Contains all of the information and forms needed to establish a nonprofit fund.
Planned Gifts
Description

A charitable gift annuity is a simple contract between a donor and the community foundation

One Life (PDF)

Two Consecutive Lives (PDF)

Two Lives, Joint and Survivor (PDF)
One signed agreement is all that is needed to establish a charitable gift annuity. There are three types of charitable gift annuity contracts for both immediate and deferred annuities, based on the annuitant(s). Please contact us for more details.

Disclosure Statement (PDF)
Important policies associated with establishing and maintaining a charitable gift annuity with the community foundation.

Making Contributions

The community foundation accepts many types of gifts including cash, credit cards, public, private and restricted stock, and even real estate.

Please contact us for more details.

Policies

Fund Terms and Conditions (PDF)
Important policies associated with establishing and maintaining a charitable fund with the community foundation.

Support Fees and Minimums (PDF)
Schedule of fees and minimums for a majority of our funds.

Investment Information

Investment Committee (PDF)
Comprised of our current board members and community volunteers with deep investment and business expertise, the investment committee sets our investment policy and monitors performance.

Investment Options Information (PDF)
A detailed description of the expertly managed investment pools available to your fund and used as a guide while completing the Investment Allocation form found in the establishing fund packets above.

Investment Allocation Form (PDF)
A form for fund advisors to update their investment allocation once per year.

For in-depth information about the community foundation's investment strategy and options, refer to our investment strategy and investment options page.
Individually Managed Funds

For donors with more than $3 million in assets, we offer you the opportunity to recommend an investment advisor to manage the fund and ensure its growth. For more information on these Individually Managed Funds (IMFs), click here.

Silicon Valley Community Foundation is not engaged in rendering legal, financial, or tax advice. Information in our publications and on our website is provided as a service to provide general information about charitable giving. Many topics related to charitable giving have complexities and nuances that cannot be adequately detailed in brief articles or announcements. Individuals’ personal situations may vary. Please consult your financial or legal advisor. Performance data is based on past performance and is no guarantee of future results. If you would like to report discrepancies with the information presented, please contact us at info@siliconvalleycf.org.