Basics of Giving Through Us

We make giving easy for your client

FEATURED FUND

Gertrude "Betty" Ward Scholarship Fund

Thanks to a Virginia Beach attorney and trust officer there are students on scholarship in college right now because of the generosity of the late Frederick G. and Gertrude "Betty" Ward.

Your client has at least two important reasons for making a major charitable donation.

  1. You told them it was a good idea.
  2. They want to help others through their philanthropy.

The Hampton Roads Community Foundation is here to make your client's giving easy and joyful - not complicated or frustrating.

We also want to save you time. In addition to all the services mentioned elsewhere, we offer Advisor Resources. This section of our website includes such materials as Sample Gift Language for each type of fund as well as Charitable Gift Annuities. You'll also find links to our key publications to share with your clients, and links to "conversations" in the world of philanthropy. And, there is an online planned giving calculator to help you show your clients the potential of their charitable gift.

The first question is whether our community foundation is right for your client. Can we make the tax advantages work? Can we meet your client's expectations about grants to causes and organizations he or she cares about? Can we involve the client's family? Can we provide personal attention and 24/7 online access?

To start the conversation that answers those questions, contact Kay Stine, vice president for development at (757) 622-7951 or kstine@hamptonroadscf.org. We can meet at the location that best serves you and your client, including our downtown Norfolk offices.

If a charitable fund makes sense, we give your client six options for endowed funds, each with a name and a purpose the client can choose. Plus, your client can start that fund now or plan a gift later through a bequest or other estate plans. The minimum amount for a permanent named fund is $25,000.

Your client can also make any size donation through us to dozens of causes or organizations:

  • Donate online or send a check to Hampton Roads Community Foundation, 101 W. Main Street, Suite 4500, Norfolk, VA 23510. The gift can be in honor or memory of a special person.
  • Contribute any amount to one of seven Community Funds.
    1. Community Fund (supports an array of area nonprofits). Recent grants helped the D'Art Center, Habitat for Humanity South Hampton Roads and the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center.
    2. Community Fund for Arts and Culture. Grants to the Business Consortium for Arts Support helped 33 area arts groups.
    3. Community Fund for Civic Leadership. Grants to The Planning Council helped fund the latest Investment in Priorities community needs report.
    4. Community Fund for Educational Achievement. Grants helped fund Elevate Early Education and the United Way of South Hampton Roads United for All Children program.
    5. Community Fund for the Environment. Grants helped the Elizabeth River Project and Nansemond River Preservation Alliance.
    6. Community Fund for Health and Human Services. Grants helped ForKids Inc. and the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia & the Eastern Shore.
    7. Community Fund for Scholarships. Scholarships have helped area students attending The College of William & Mary and James Madison University.
  • Contribute to one of our 50+ field-of-interest endowments. Generous people have set up funds for nonprofits working in all kinds of causes: early childhood, humane animal care, homelessness and horticulture education, to name a few.
  • Donate to one of our 75+ designated funds that help specific nonprofits ranging from places of worship to museums, alma maters and human service organizations.
  • Add to a friend or family member's donor-advised fund in honor of a birthday or other special occasion. Look here to see who has donor-advised funds.
  • Contribute to the community foundation's overall work. The community foundation manages nearly 100 unrestricted funds created by people whose names you may recognize. These funds underpin competitive grants to nonprofits working in areas spanning arts and education to environment and human service.
  • Join a giving group like Community Leadership Partners or Visionaries for Change, which are hands-on philanthropy groups whose members pool resources to tackle specific regional issues.
  • Support causes in Accomack and Northampton counties through our affiliate foundation the Eastern Shore of Virginia Community Foundation. We helped start this community foundation in 2004 and manage its charitable funds. Let Kay Stine, vice president for development, know if she can help connect you to our affiliate foundation.

Your clients may think first of writing a check when making a donation. As you know, sometimes there are better choices.

You might advise your client to donate stock instead. Let's say she bought a share of stock for $10 years ago, and today the stock is worth $100. If she sold that share, she would have to pay capital gains tax on $90 ($100 minus the original buying price). But if she donates the share of stock, she is free from capital gains taxes, and gets a charitable deduction based on the entire $100.

Stock is just one of the assets we can accept on your client's behalf. Over the years we have received IRA assets, condos and even a stamp collection to start a charitable fund.

Questions? Contact Kay Stine, vice president for development, at (757) 622-7951 or kstine@hamptonroadscf.org.

After your client has made the charitable gift, the rest is our responsibility. If it's a one-time gift, such as in honor or memory of a special person, we will notify the recipient. If your client started a fund, we handle all the paperwork, auditing, grant distribution, record keeping and investmenting. If your client establishes a donor-advised fund, we will work closely with him or her to have the information they need.

Most importantly, we will put your client's gift to work, turning their wishes into acts.

Questions? Contact Kay Stine, vice president for development, at (757) 622-7951 or kstine@hamptonroadscf.org.

Our bequest guide helps craft a future legacy.

Read a copy online or request a print copy.