FAQs
What does the Community Foundation do?
What is the Community Foundation’s Charitable Registration number?
Does the Community Foundation receive government funding?
Why use the Community Foundation?
On making a donation…
What kinds of funds can be established?
How much must I contribute to establish a fund?
What is the rate of return on investments?
Why establish a donor advised fund instead of a private foundation?
When is the Community Foundation’s fundraising campaign?
Which charitable causes or organizations does the Community Foundation support?
How do I make an online donation?
What is the minimum tax receiptable amount for donations?
On applying for a grant…
When are the deadlines to apply for a grant?
Are proposals accepted at any time?
What happens to my request after I send it in?
How long before a decision is made?
If I am confident that my project will be approved, can I get started on the project?
Can I meet with someone before submitting an application?
What is the average amount of a grant?
How much detail should I include in the budget I enclose with my application?
Do I need to have other sources of funding for my request?
Can we submit our request in French?
Can I submit my application by e-mail or by fax?
What does the Community Foundation do?
- Provides a means whereby the community’s charitable assets and decision-making can be applied locally;
- Pools the charitable gifts of many donors into a permanent, income-earning endowment that benefits the people of Ottawa primarily and fulfills the philanthropic objectives of individual donors;
- Makes grants from the earnings of these funds to support a broad variety of initiatives from health, education and social services to arts, culture and the environment;
- Offers neutral advice and support to all kinds of individuals and organizations trying to make philanthropic decisions;
- Provides leadership by bringing people together from all sectors, to identify and address issues as well as to leverage opportunities in the region.
What is the Community Foundation’s Charitable Registration number?
The Community Foundation’s Charitable Registration number is 11922 7981 RR 0001.
Who runs it?
The Community Foundation is independent, autonomous and accountable to the community as a whole. As a way of ensuring that the Community Foundation will be well managed today and into the future, the governing body is appointed by an outside Nominating Committee made up of the incumbents in positions of responsibility and influence.
This Committee is responsible for selecting the best possible people to fill vacancies as they arise on the Board of Governors. The members of the Board are chosen for their integrity, expertise and ability to serve the Community Foundation without compensation. These Board appointments are limited to three years, renewable once. The Board, in turn, hires and oversees the CEO who is responsible for the day-to-day running of the Community Foundation, including the hiring of other staff.
Does the Community Foundation receive government funding?
No. All of the funds under the Community Foundation’s care have been established and have grown thanks to donations, both large and small.
Who gives?
Individuals, families, clubs, corporations and other charities contribute. The Community Foundation makes participation possible by people of modest means as well as the wealthy.
Individuals and families often establish an advised fund within the Community Foundation instead of establishing their own foundation. This adds to administrative efficiency and reduces expenses.
Some corporations rely on the expertise of the Community Foundation to administer their corporate donations programs.
Many charities, including other foundations, place their endowment funds with the Community Foundation in order to ensure their future financial viability, preserve their endowments in perpetuity and benefit from ongoing professional endowment management expertise.
What do they give?
The Community Foundation accepts nearly every kind of asset. Most non-cash gifts are liquidated immediately and the proceeds transferred to the investment portfolio.
Where does the money go?
The Community Foundation itself is not the object of donor’s philanthropy, but is the vehicle by which donors can fulfill their charitable objectives. Through its grantmaking programs, the Community Foundation is committed to seeding, nurturing, supporting and strengthening the community. Grants are made to not-for-profit organizations recognized by the Canada Revenue Agency as registered charities.
Grants are made in support of social services (including projects for the visually impaired, children, youth, seniors), health, arts, education, animal welfare and the environment, primarily within the Ottawa region. The annual earnings of many of the funds under the Community Foundation’s care are disbursed according to advice from the donors of those funds.
Why use the Community Foundation?
- The Community Foundation’s investments are permanently endowed. Therefore they are always growing and the earnings will be available forever;
- The Community Foundation itself is not the object of anyone’s philanthropy but provides the vehicle to fulfill their charitable objectives;
- The Community Foundation is very flexible and provides many services to help donor realize their charitable objectives. Donors can have as much or as little involvement as they want in how the money is disbursed;
- The Community Foundation can assist people who want to enjoy the tax saving advantages of charitable contributions in a particular year but are not certain which charities they would like to support. They can establish a fund quickly, obtain a tax receipt for the contributed amount and then decide later where to focus their giving from the fund.
What kinds of funds can be established?
Donations to the Community Foundation are generally used to establish one or more of several kinds of funds, any of which can bear the name of an individual, family, corporation or charitable cause; or the fund can be anonymous.
How much must I contribute to establish a fund?
With one exception, a named fund can be established for as little as $5,000. The exception is scholarship funds, which must be a minimum of $10,000. In either case, the money can be contributed over time, through annual contributions or added to with a deferred gift such as life insurance or a bequest.
What is an endowment fund?
The definition of a fund is an invested sum, whose income is devoted to a specific object. An endowment is defined as the act of bestowing a permanent provision for support. Together, the term endowment fund means an invested sum of money which is permanently invested and whose income is devoted to a specific cause.
What is the rate of return on investments?
The following table provides the rates of return for each year since the Community Foundation was established in 1987.
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Why establish a donor-advised fund instead of a private foundation?
Starting up a private foundation requires the donor to create a new organization, establish a board of trustees, obtain registered charitable status from Canada Revenue Agency and keep reporting regularly. A fund at a Community Foundation is far easier and faster to establish and entails no start-up costs. Click here to compare the two options. Maintaining a donor-advised fund at the Community Foundation is usually more cost
effective than running a private foundation, and the problem of intergenerational succession is resolved. In addition, Community Foundation donors are free of the responsibility for monitoring grants made and for fulfilling national and provincial reporting requirements. The Community Foundation staff handles all those administrative tasks.
How much does it cost?
The Community Foundation assigns an administration fee of 1.5% for all endowed funds of $5 million or less. The fee is reduced for larger funds. Scholarship funds are the only exception, with an administration fee of 2% (as of January 1, 2004).
When is the Community Foundation’s fundraising campaign?
The Community Foundation doesn’t fundraise in any usual sense. The main source for donations, and thus the major focus is through planned giving and gifts of assets.
Which charitable causes or organizations does the Community Foundation support?
As a neutral broker, the Community Foundation can support any organization or cause that a donor names as long as it has charitable status with the Canada Revenue Agency. If they prefer, donors can specify a broad field of interest or make no specifications at all as to where the earnings from their funds should be directed. In this case, the Grants Committee decides, based on the applications received, where the money can have the greatest and most positive impact.
How do I make an online donation?
Online donations may now be made directly to funds held by the Community Foundation of Ottawa. Our new online system provides a safe and secure environment through which donors may make a donation. Simply click on the Donate button that appears at the top of each web page. This will open up the online donation system, where you can select a fund from the drop-down menu or search the name of the fund to which you would like to donate. If the fund you’re looking for does not appear, you may enter the fund name in the field below. You will then be prompted through the donation process.
What is the minimum tax receiptable amount for donations?
The minimum amount of a donation to receive a tax receipt is $20. For online donations, electronic receipts will be provided by email. Donors who make monthly donations will receive a receipt for the full amount at the end of the year.
When are the deadlines to apply for a grant?
The deadlines for the Community Foundation’s grants programs are as follows:
Community Grants – February 1st and October 1st
Deadlines for other grant programs administered by the Community Foundation are as follows:
The Ottawa Citizen Literacy Foundation – October 1st
To be considered in each grant cycle, complete applications must be received at our office no later than 5 p.m. on the deadline date.
Are proposals accepted at any time?
Proposals received at other times during the year are held and reviewed at the next grant deadline.
A limited amount of financial assistance is available for emergencies which may occur outside these deadlines.
What happens to my request after I send it in?
You will receive an acknowledgement of your request within one month. Community Foundation staff review each application to determine whether the proposal meets the basic guidelines and granting criteria. If your project does not meet the criteria, or if additional information is required, you will be notified immediately. All grants are reviewed and approved by the Community Foundation’s Grants Committee.
How long before a decision is made?
Decision-making may take up to three months after the application deadline.
If I am confident that my project will be approved, can I get started on the project?
The Community Foundation is not always able to fund all the requests it receives from applicants. You are not advised to start a project for which you do not have confirmation of funding.
Can I meet with someone before submitting an application?
The Community Foundation operates with a relatively small staff and is therefore not able to meet with all applicants. If you have questions, please contact our Grantmaking staff.
If more information is required in order to process your submitted application, you will be contacted and if necessary, a meeting may be arranged at that time.
What is the average amount of a grant?
The average Community Grant is $8,000 – $10,000.
Grants from the Ottawa Citizen Literacy Foundation vary in size.
Can an individual (artist, researcher, community worker, etc.) receive a grant from the Community Foundation?
No. The Community Foundation can only issue grants to registered Canadian charities.
How much detail should I include in the budget I enclose with my application?
The budget must cover all major categories (personnel, travel, office, etc.) but need not go into too much detail. The Community Foundation may request additional information if required. Remember that the total amount of revenues should be equal to the total amount of expenditures.
Do I need to have other sources of funding for my request?
The Community Foundation prefers not to be the sole funder. From time to time, the Community Foundation will provide full funding for a project but only when it is evident that there are no other avenues for funding and the project is seen to be a high priority.
Can we submit our request in French?
The Community Foundation is pleased to receive requests in both official languages. Pour des renseignements en français, cliquez ici…
Can I submit my application by e-mail or by fax?
No, we ask that you please submit your application online or mail it to the Community Foundation. See the section on how to Apply for a Grant for further details.