Start an endowment fund to support your charity

Any charity can set up an endowment fund with us to ensure a reliable source of income. You can use your endowment fund’s earnings to support your charity’s mission for years to come without restrictions.

Having an endowment fund also shows that your charity is financially stable and committed to the community, which is essential to many donors looking to leave a legacy through a charitable gift.

Charities We Work With

Vancouver Foundation manages funds for more than 550 charities across Canada. You can browse all agencies that hold funds with us here.

Benefits of an Endowment Fund

Focus on your charity’s mission: Get support to manage your fund. This frees you to focus on your programs, services, and donor stewardship.

Increase donor confidence: An endowment fund shows your dedication to the community. Donors will also see that you are serious about its long-term financial stability.

Accept a wide range of gifts: We can help you accept many types of gifts for your fund, including:

1. Life insurance policies
2. RRSPs, RRIFs and TFSAs
3. Publicly-traded securities
4. Gifts from US donors
5. Legacy gifts from your estate or will

Vancouver Foundation’s Expertise and Services

We’ll use our 75+ years of experience supporting charities to help you earn donor trust and support. When you establish an endowment fund at Vancouver Foundation, your charity can leverage our investment and financial expertise.

We can help you grow your endowment with the support of your donors. As part of our low fund management fee, Vancouver Foundation will:

1. Process all donations to the fund, including estate gifts
2. Issue tax receipts directly to donors
3. Advise on complex gifts such as bequests, life insurance, and RRSPs
4. Provide communication and marketing support for your fund
5. Provide planned giving support to your fundraising team

Endowment Building Support

Additionally, we can support your endowment-building efforts with:

1. A personalized online donation page that makes it easy for your donors to contribute
2. Online access to fund statements through our easy-to-use web portal
3. Annual fund review and donor engagement resources
4. Advice tailored to you and your donors about planned gifts and legacy giving

Fund Types

Your charity can choose to set up either a permanent or non-permanent fund:

Permanent Funds: As the name implies, donations to a permanent fund are held by Vancouver Foundation in perpetuity. Any income earned the fund earns is then paid back to your charity each year. In our experience, these funds are attractive to donors giving large estate gifts.

You can establish a permanent fund with at least $10,000. A start-up option is available for a $1,000 donation. Ask us for details about this option.

Non-Permanent Funds: These funds provide a steadier income stream from both the fund’s capital and its earnings.
Non-permanent funds require a larger initial investment of $100,000.

Start Your Endowment Fund Today

Contact us using the form below with any questions about endowment funds or to start building one for your organization.

After submitting this form, we’ll contact you to discuss how we can help.