Why Create a Fund

Creating a fund with Greater Hartford Gives is the most powerful way to make an impact in your community. Whether you want to support a single organization, champion a cause or topic you care about, or drive progress on deeper systemic issues facing our region, we are the partner that can help you make a difference on what matters most to you. Greater Hartford Gives also handles all the administrative tasks so you’re free to stay focused on giving.

A fund gives you the flexibility to direct your generosity where it’s needed most—whether that’s helping one organization thrive or fueling broader, long-term solutions to the challenges facing our community. You’ll be part of a network of donors and advocates who are working not just to address immediate needs, but to get at the root causes and build a stronger future for everyone.

Whatever change you’d like to see in the world, let us be the partner that helps put your ideas in action.

Create Your Own Fund

One of the most powerful ways to impact your community is by starting your own fund. We offer a variety of options to customize your giving and help you create positive change.

Agency Funds

$10,000 minimum

Agency funds help organizations strengthen their financial foundation without losing sight of their mission. By partnering with Greater Hartford Gives, your organization gains access to our gifting expertise and the credibility of a trusted community partner. An agency fund not only supports your day-to-day operations and long-term growth, but also helps you grow your endowment with confidence—allowing you to focus on what matters most.

Investment-related fees generally range from 0.85-0.9% of the endowment portfolio average market value.

Corporate-Advised Funds

$10,000 minimum

Corporate-advised funds make it easy to structure and grow your company’s giving—so you can focus on your business while achieving more with your philanthropy. When you work with Greater Hartford Gives, you tap into 100 years of local insight, our team’s expertise, and the reputation of a trusted community partner to help you advance your corporate values and goals.

With a corporate-advised fund, we take care of the investments and administration, so you don’t have to. You or your employees recommend which organizations to support, and we handle the vetting and paperwork, awarding grants in your company’s name. Whether you use cash, stock, real estate, or other assets, a corporate-advised fund can bring tax advantages and flexibility—helping your company make a lasting impact, year after year.

If you’re considering a Corporate-Advised Fund, we encourage you to reach out to us for a conversation.

Administrative Fees: charged at 1% up to $500,000, after which fees are based on a sliding scale

Investment-related fees generally range from 0.85-0.9% of the endowment portfolio average market value.

Designated Fund

$10,000 minimum

Designated funds are a lasting way to support the nonprofit or cultural institution you care about most. By creating an endowed designated fund with Greater Hartford Gives, you can ensure your favorite organization receives ongoing, reliable support well into the future.

With a designated fund, you choose one or more charitable organizations to benefit. As long as those organizations continue their work, your fund will provide annual grants in your name—helping them grow and thrive for years to come. Support the causes that matter most to you and know your legacy will continue at Greater Hartford Gives, making a difference for generations.

Administrative Fees: 0.6% (first $1MM), 0.45% (next $1MM to $2MM), 0.35% (over $2MM)

Investment-related fees generally range from 0.85-0.9% of the endowment portfolio average market value.

Donor-Advised Fund

$10,000 minimum

Donor-advised funds are ideal for donors who want a hands-on role in their giving. With a donor-advised fund at Greater Hartford Gives, you can support the causes and organizations that matter most to you—and update your giving as your interests change over time.

Donor-advised funds give you flexibility to recommend grants to qualified nonprofits throughout Greater Hartford or across the country, whenever you choose. You’ll also have access to our staff’s expertise in philanthropy and their in-depth knowledge of the region’s nonprofit community, helping you make informed and effective decisions.

You can even involve family members or future generations in making grant recommendations, making a donor-advised fund a meaningful way to create and sustain your philanthropic legacy.

Administrative fees: 1% (first $500,000), 0.9% (next $500,000 to $1 MM), 0.85% (next $1 MM to $1.5 MM), 0.6% (next $1.5 MM to $4 MM), 0.55% (next $4M to $5M), 0.5% (over $5 MM).

Investment-related fees generally range from 0.85-0.9% of the endowment portfolio average market value.

Field-of-Interest Fund

$10,000 minimum

Field-of-interest funds let you put Greater Hartford Gives’ expertise to work, making a lasting impact in the areas you care about most—even as needs change over time.

For donors who want to make a difference in a specific area, population, or town, field of interest funds with Greater Hartford Gives offer meaningful impact paired with trusted guidance. You choose the focus—whether it’s education, health, the arts, or another cause—and our team uses its knowledge and experience to guide grants each year where they’ll have the greatest effect within your chosen area. With a field of interest fund, your generosity is focused, effective, and creates lasting change where it matters most to you.

Administrative Fees: 1.15%

Investment-related fees generally range from 0.85-0.9% of the endowment portfolio average market value.

Scholarship Fund – Individual

$50,000 minimum

Donors can create their own Individual Scholarship Fund at Greater Hartford Gives, tailored to support students who meet the criteria you set. Our experienced staff will work with you to refine your scholarship’s focus, ensuring your generosity aligns with your goals and values.

You, or other representatives of your fund, can take part in our board-approved selection process. And with Greater Hartford Gives handling all the scholarship marketing, administration, distributions, and renewals, you can be confident your support is making a difference—without the paperwork or hassle.

Learn more and browse current listings on our Scholarship website.

Administrative Fees: 1.5%

Investment-related fees generally range from 0.85-0.9% of the endowment portfolio average market value.

Scholarship Fund – Greater Futures Scholarship Fund

Greater Hartford Gives and Hartford Promise have formed a revolutionary partnership to address the student debt crisis and redefine what’s possible for high school students. This program awards up to $100,000 for all Hartford Promise Scholars: any four-year Hartford Public Schools student and Hartford resident with a 3.0 GPA and 93% attendance.

Learn more.

Unrestricted Endowment Fund

$10,000 minimum

Many donors turn to Greater Hartford Gives because they want to help meet the community’s most pressing needs, both now and in the years ahead. Our region is always changing, and an unrestricted fund gives us the flexibility to direct your support where it will make the biggest difference every year. With your partnership, Greater Hartford Gives can respond quickly and effectively as new challenges and opportunities arise.

Administrative Fees: 1.15%

Investment-related fees generally range from 0.85-0.9% of the endowment portfolio average market value.

Giving with Community

Aligned giving at Greater Hartford Gives is about connecting your generosity with the community’s greatest opportunities. Whether you create your own fund, use a donor-advised fund, or contribute to Foundation-identifies priority areas, you can help drive progress on issues like education, housing, food security, access to the arts, and more. By supporting proven strategies and critical needs identified by research, your giving is directly linked to what makes our region stronger and more vibrant—for today and for the future.d

Aligned Giving

Build-Up Option

For donors who want to create a fund but aren’t able to meet the fund minimum right away, Greater Hartford Gives may offer a build-up option.

With this approach, you can establish your fund now and work toward reaching the minimum balance over three years. During this build-up period, your contributions and any earned investment income will accumulate. Once your fund meets the minimum, it becomes active and you can start making grants. If you’re interested in building up a fund, reach out to us to learn more—we review each request individually.

Donor Rights & Privacy

Protecting your rights and wishes as a donor is our top priority

Donor Privacy

Respecting and protecting your rights and wishes is our priority.

The Greater Hartford Gives Foundation honors our donor relationships. We maintain the highest level of confidentiality, pursuant to the Protection of Confidential Personal Information Policy.

We will not share donor names, addresses, or other personal financial information with any individual or organization outside of the Greater Hartford Gives Foundation without express permission from donors, or unless required to do so by law.

The Foundation does not sell, trade, or exchange its mailing lists. Recipients of Foundation mail or electronic mail messages may opt-out of any lists maintained by the Foundation and used for such communication. The Foundation may share data with trusted partners to help us perform statistical analysis, send email or postal mail, provide customer support, or arrange for deliveries. All such third parties are prohibited from using your personal information except to provide these services to Greater Hartford Gives Foundation, and they are required to maintain the confidentiality of your information.

From time to time, donor names may be listed in Foundation publications; however, donors are given the option of remaining anonymous.

Protection of Confidential Personal Information Policy

Safeguarding Confidential Personal Information related to our employees, job applicants, volunteers, donors or potential donors, or any persons who provide us with that information in the course of their interaction with the Foundation is a fundamental responsibility of each employee, and of the Foundation’s Directors and volunteers. “Confidential Personal Information” includes, but is not limited to, Social Security numbers, drivers’ license numbers, account numbers, credit or debit card numbers, passport or alien registration numbers and health insurance identification numbers and any other information capable of being associated with a particular person through one or more personal identifiers.

It is the responsibility of all Foundation employees, directors and volunteers who collect, verify, review, or maintain files of such information, whether the information is in print or electronic form, to do so with strict attention to maintaining the confidentiality of that information. The Foundation strictly prohibits the disclosure of a person’s Confidential Personal Information to a third party without the express written permission of the person, unless permitted or required by law, or unless the information has otherwise been made public, in accordance with applicable state and federal law. For employees, any disclosure of Confidential Personal Information in violation of this policy may result in management action, up to and including termination of employment, and depending on the circumstances, may subject the employee to additional penalties under state or federal law.

In addition, whenever Confidential Personal Information is provided to Foundation vendors or subcontractors, confidentiality agreements must be executed prior to the release of any such information. A copy of the standard agreement is available from the Vice President for Finance and Administration. Under appropriate circumstances, the Foundation may agree to use a vendor’s standard confidentiality agreement as part of a universal contract, provided that the vendor’s contract provides comparable protection, with the express written approval of the Vice President, Finance and Administration.

All employment and pre-employment personnel information is maintained in locked, segregated areas and is not viewed by anyone except authorized Human Resources and Administration staff with a legitimate business need. The Foundation complies with applicable state and federal law pertaining to the protection of personnel records. Please refer to the Foundation policy regarding access to employee personnel files.

Confidential Personal Information maintained in electronic form or transmitted over the Foundation’s business system applications will be safeguarded under Foundation proprietary electronic transmission and intranet policies and security systems. Participants in the Foundation’s benefit plans should be aware that personal information will be shared from time to time with plan providers as required for their claims handling or record keeping needs, in accordance with applicable state and federal law.

The Foundation has implemented internal safeguards to protect any data, computer files, and documents containing Confidential Personal Information, and to destroy or make unreadable such information prior to disposal. In certain instances, employees may be required to comply with safeguards specific to their job duties to ensure the protection or proper disposal of Confidential Personal Information. Employees will be provided additional information regarding any safeguards applicable to them. Any employee failing to comply with applicable safeguards may be subject to management action, up to and including termination of employment.

Want to create a fund, or have questions? Contact us.

Josh Kornberg, EdD
Vice President for Advancement

However you'd prefer to give, we have an option for you.

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