25 Things You Should Know About Solano Community Foundation

#1 We're local.
We help people give where they live, in Solano County. We even have seven separate funds, one for each of the cities of the County, so donors can give specifically within their own home communities.

#2 We know our Community.
We're in touch with the needs of our residents in ways that government and other large institutions are not. We initiate programs and make grants that address the real problems and concerns of our community.

#3 We make our community better.
In 2007, we awarded more than $843,700 in grants to 225 nonprofits who improve community life. Since 2000, we have made over $4.1 million in grants to our community.

#4 We never give up.
Endowment funds start small and grow. You can give knowing that your endowment will be working for a better Solano County, forever. When community needs change - even needs that we cannot fathom today - our programs adapt in response.

#5 We're easy.
We're structured to make giving simple. You can establish a fund, address a community need, name us in your will, leave a life insurance policy or real estate. We are flexible.

#6 We're matchmakers.
With some 300 nonprofits in Solano County, it can be tough to figure out where to give. We work with and know our local charitable organizations and introduce donors to their work.

#7 We help you match your gift with your passion.
You can choose to make a gift to benefit local nonprofits now and we can help you decide where your contribution will do the most good. Donors can create charitable funds at the Foundation and recommend grants that support the issues and groups they care about. Or you can rely on us to make grants that reflect your particular interests.

#8 We're stewards of your legacy.
Like your personal savings, our endowment funds grow. In the year 2000, we had one endowed fund, valued at $200,000. By summer 2007, we had sixteen endowments, with a total value of $3.3 million. This represents almost half of the total funds under management at the Foundation. As these permanent funds grow, the Foundation has greater resources to make a significant contribution to the community through our unrestricted grantmaking programs.

#9 We're well respected and recognized as "excellent" by our peers.
The Foundation was selected to house the Cooperating Collection of the Foundation Center Library, the only such resource between San Francisco and Sacramento. We also received the coveted "Certificate of Compliance with National Standards of Excellence for Community Foundations" from the Council on Foundations.

#10 We work with your professional advisors.
Along with the attorneys, financial planners, and accountants who serve on the Foundation Board of Directors, we help your professional advisors assist you in crafting the best and most appropriate philanthropic instruments to realize your charitable goals and objectives.

#11 We carry a big umbrella.
We offer technical and administrative support to nonprofits making a difference in the arts, civic affairs, education, environment, animal welfare, youth and senior programs, and health and human services. We also sponsor the Solano Nonprofits Coalition. We help donors assist the community in widely varied ways. We network with community foundations across the country so that Solano County residents can participate in national crisis response.

#12 We can help you give now, or we can wait until after your death.
If you want to make a difference right away, you can give now. There are many ways to give and see the benefit of your generosity immediately. But, you can also plan to leave assets - such as a home or ranch, retirement fund, or life insurance policy - to the community foundation in your estate.

#13 You don't have to be rich to make a difference, but it doesn't hurt.
Many of our donors make modest gifts, with a desire to lift the lives of their fellow citizens and see change in their community. People of wealth and resources also choose the Solano Community Foundation as their philanthropic partner, knowing that we have the professional expertise and standing to prudently manage large funds and maximize investment returns. Several donors work in collaboration with their colleagues, business partners, and family members to increase their endowment contributions.

#14 We foster a culture of philanthropy.
The Foundation's role is also to help people become donors. We build a culture of giving in and for the community, and foster greater giving and volunteering in our community.

#15 We're a good value.
By combining your resources with others who share your interests, you maximize your contributions and take advantage of our expertise and low administrative costs. Our fees meet the standards set by the national Council on Foundations, and are lower than many other administrators of donor advised funds, both commercial and nonprofit.

#16 We give with care.
Each year our staff exercises due diligence on hundreds of applications for funds. The members of our Grants Committee, community volunteers from many professions and walks of life, review all applications, visit nonprofits, and make thoughtful decisions about which organizations to support.

#17 We're trailblazers.
We take a leadership role when we believe it will benefit the community. We work closely with the nonprofit community to convene discussion groups, roundtables, and forums in response to community needs.

#18 We work well with others.
We collaborate with other local and regional funders. We host workshops for them so they can better understand the needs in this region and help local nonprofits improve their chances of receiving their grants.

#19 We've got our priorities straight.
While individual nonprofits focus on specific issues, the Foundation studies the community as a whole. With your input, we develop grantmaking and other programs that address the most pressing needs of our local people.

#20 We've got nonprofits' backs.
We offer workshops, trainings, and research resources to help local nonprofits work more effectively. Smarter nonprofits make better use of their financial gifts, volunteers, and staff. They are invaluable assets to our community. We also provide free access to the Foundation Directory Online, a database of extensive information on more than 90,000 funders. This is housed at the Foundation and we give users training on how to maximum the information.

#21 We teach you a thing or two.
An educated person makes better decisions about how and where to give. The Foundation staff works with each donor to help him or her learn more about the problems we face as a community and to generate solutions.

#22 We hate hassles.
We are an attractive alternative to starting and managing a private foundation since you can avoid the complications and let us do the work. We handle all record keeping, reporting to the IRS, accounting, and investment management. You do the fun part of giving without the hassles.

#23 We save you money.
All gifts to the Solano Community Foundation are tax-deductible. Donors who establish a fund at the Foundation benefit from the highest available tax deductions for charitable contributions. We also offer a range of ways to give that can save you money while also benefiting the community.

#24 We make "forever" a reality.
When you establish an endowed fund at the Foundation, your contribution works forever to support the issues that matter most to you. After your death, your gift continues to help. Even a person of modest means can leave a lasting legacy to our region. We preserve a donor's saved assets, long after they're gone.

#25 We make it easy to care for Solano County.
We identify community needs and generate solutions. We introduce donors to organizations with similar dreams. We do the homework and the legwork so you can have the good feeling that comes with making a difference in your community.