Because you Want to Make a Difference!

Charitable giving is a powerful way to make the world a better place.

You understand the joy derived from doing just that – and the spirit of making a difference in the community you love!

Philanthropy is a very personal decision.

Fundamentally, philanthropy is an expression of your values – it draws on your passions and concerns, providing you with an opportunity to learn, grow and have a real impact on the world around you through charitable giving.

The Community Foundation of the Brazos Valley is a collection of individual philanthropic funds created by members of our community to serve a wide variety of charitable purposes. Many donors choose to give through the Foundation because of the advantages a community foundation offers.

There are many reasons people choose to give through the Community Foundation of the Brazos Valley:

  • We are a LOCAL ORGANIZATION with deep roots in the community
  • We boast professional staff with BROAD EXPERTISE regarding community issues and needs
  • We provide highly PERSONALIZED SERVICE tailored to each individual’s charitable and financial interests
  • We build ENDOWMENT FUNDS that benefit the community forever and help create personal legacies
  • We offer DIVERSE FUND TYPES, which help people invest in the causes they care about most.
  • We accept a wide VARIETY OF ASSETS, and can facilitate the most complex forms of giving
  • We partner with PROFESSIONAL ADVISORS to create effective approaches to charitable giving
  • We offer MAXIMUM TAX ADVANTAGE under state and federal law
  • We MULTIPLY THE IMPACT of gift dollars by pooling them with other gifts and grants
  • We are COMMUNITY LEADERS convening resources and ideas to create positive change

How can you give?

The Community Foundation of the Brazos Valley simplifies giving, allows a great degree of flexibility and makes it possible for people and organizations to create a legacy for the future. As you think about how the Foundation might facilitate your charitable giving, we suggest you begin by asking these questions:

  • What are my charitable/community interests?
  • What type of asset do I have to give?
  • What type of involvement do I wish to maintain?

Asset Types-What are some of my options?

  • Cash gifts allow donors to claim a current tax deduction and carry forward contributions exceeding annual limits for up to five [5]] subsequent tax years
  • Stocks and securities represent a popular mode of giving.  Donating gifts of publicly-traded securities and mutual funds qualify donors for an immediate charitable deduction of the full fair market value and an exemption from capital gains tax on the appreciation.
  • Life Insurance – when the original purpose for a life insurance policy no longer applies—such as educating children now grown or providing financial security for a spouse now deceased—your policy can become a powerful, yet simple way to support our work.
    • There are three ways to give life insurance to the Community Foundation of the Brazos Valley:
      • Name us a beneficiary on your life insurance policy. This gift is as simple as updating your beneficiary designation form with the policy holder. You can designate the Foundation as the primary beneficiary for a percentage or specific amount. You can also make the Foundation as the contingent beneficiary so that we will receive the balance of your policy, only if your primary beneficiary doesn’t survive you.
      • Make an outright gift of an existing policy. You can transfer the ownership of an existing life insurance policy to the Foundation by name us as owner and beneficiary of an existing policy. You may receive a federal income tax charitable deduction and reduce your future estate tax liability. If you continue to pay premiums on the policy, each payment is tax deductible as a charitable gift.
      • Make an outright gift of a new policy. You can purchase a new life insurance policy and irrevocably name the Community Foundation as the owner and beneficiary of the insurance contract. This method may be particularly attractive for younger donors. Whether you make one single premium payment for the policy or pay annual premiums, each payment is tax deductible as a charitable gift.
    • Take the Next Step:
      • Contact the Community Foundation about your interests in donating with life insurance.
      • Seek the advice of your financial or legal advisor.
      • If you include the Community Foundation in your plans, please use our legal name and federal tax ID.
  • Real estate gifts of residential, commercial, ranch or farm real estate owned for more than a year entitles the owner to a tax deduction for the property’s full fair market value while allowing the owner to avoid capital gains taxes.
  • Retirement plan donations or through an IRA assists donors in reducing or eliminating income and estate taxes while also supporting important causes.  LINK TO INFO [PENDING – ON ADVISOR SITE]
  • Bequests enable donors to support important community needs while retaining complete controlover assets during their lifetime through a living trust or will while earning a full charitable deduction on estate taxes.
    • Charitable Gift Annuity – Annuity contract pays client for life and charitable fund commences grants upon death
    • Charitable Lead Trust – Trust pays the community foundation a fixed amount for a number of years and then assets transfer to beneficiary
    • Charitable Remainder Trust – Trust pays beneficiary for life and then assets transfer to community foundation
    • Life Estate Contract – Donor transfers home to community foundation and still enjoys use during lifetime

The Community Foundation accepts a wide range of assets to create a charitable endowment, including asset types that many commercial brokerage firms are unable to accommodate.  We welcome the opportunity to simplify the process of converting your assets into contributions to fulfill your passions and community interests. 

The Community Foundation of the Brazos Valley
is a safe and permanent home for your charitable vision.

In determining whether charitable giving should be part of your financial planning, consider your response to the following questions:

  • Are there charitable organizations that you regularly support?
  • Would you like to include any of these organizations in your financial or estate plan?
  • If there was a way to shift dollars from taxes to charity, would you be interested in exploring the options?

If you answered “yes,” to any of the prior questions, then allow us to join you in creating a donor-advised fund or a legacy gift to benefit your favorite charity, nonprofit, faith community or others.

In determining your giving goals today and in the future, consider the following questions:

  • What are the issues, causes or charities that you feel passionate about? Why?
  • How would you prioritize them?
  • Which of your past charitable gifts have given you the most satisfaction and meaning? The least?
  • What level of recognition or visibility interests you?
  • To what extent would you like to get your family involved in your giving?
  • How much wealth do you want to leave to your children and grandchildren? If there is excess, would you consider designating it for charity?
  • Would you prefer to give during your life? After your death? Give now and after your death?

As the Brazos Valley’s trusted partner in philanthropy, the Community Foundation of the Brazos Valley values its role in working with donors and nonprofit organizations. Fundamental to our mission is our goal of carrying out each donor’s charitable intent. Whether a donor entrusts a multi-thousand-dollar charitable fund to us or a gift of $500, we pledge to use that money for the purpose expressed at the time of the gift. Most of the Foundation’s funds are permanently endowed; therefore, we are bound to uphold the donor’s original intent forever.

Forever is a long time, and if the original purpose of a donor’s gift should ever become obsolete, then the Community Foundation of the Brazos Valley will redirect the gift to a new purpose as close as possible to the original one.

As a community foundation, we are vested with “variance power,” that is, the ability to make those changes in building into our charter and this information is included within each fund agreement. Our Board of Trustees oversees the implementation of these practices and must carefully consider any request to exercise the variance power.

The Community Foundation of the Brazos Valley is a safe and permanent home for your charitable vision.

 

The Community Foundation of the Brazos Valley will not disclose any information about a donor or a donor’s gift, except as required by law.

The Foundation will not trade, share or sell donor information with anyone else. A donor may request to remain anonymous.

However, unless the donor requests to remain anonymous, the Foundation may publish the names of individual donors in reports and other reported listings. Also in the case of memorial gifts, the Foundation will generally provide the names of donors to members of the immediate family unless the donor has requested anonymity.

The Foundation will not disclose the amount of any gift without the donor’s consent. Property management of confidential information by all Board members and Foundation staff is very important. Confidential includes any personal information of a donor not known to third parties.

A donor may direct the Foundation to remove his/her name and contact information from the Foundation’s mailing list by contacting the Foundation at 979.589.4305.

We serve donors, businesses and nonprofit organizations with:

  • With Personalized service – Creating solutions that fit every situation!
  • Local expertise – Making a difference in the community by directing resources where they are needed the most!
  • Community Leadership – Our business is building community!

We enhance the impact of giving!
At the Community Foundation of the Brazos Valley, we believe that anyone can be a philanthropist. All you need is a desire to make your community a better place.

Many people choose to establish a fund to help support their favorite charitable interests, others opt to support unrestricted funds allowing the Foundation to identify needs and opportunities in the community and target your dollars where they will be most effective through competitive grants.

From small gifts to large ones, there is a way for everyone to participate in building our community through philanthropy. No matter which option you select, you’ll know that your dollars are at work where you want them to be.

Assets that you donate to the Foundation create one of several types of funds to support your charitable goals. We offer you a full menu of giving options to tailor your gift. Create a fund in honor of someone you love or to celebrate a special event. Direct your gift broadly or narrowly to specific issues that matter to you or to wherever the needs are greatest. You can create a fund today and experience the impact your charitable giving will have on the community or make a long-lasting gift by creating a fund through your will.

If you prefer to create your own charitable fund, you can do it with as little as $5,000

You can provide ongoing support to your favorite organization or area of interest
You can choose different nonprofit organizations to support each year
You can make your own choices, or take advantage of our staff’s expertise to help you address the community’s most pressing challenges
You can distribute gifts during your lifetime or to leave a legacy through an endowment fund – or both.
We are here to help you with all aspects of your giving experience.
If you have questions about becoming a donor that have not been answered in this section,
please click here to contact us for more information.