The Charlottesville Future Fund
Giving Circle of CACF
What is the Charlottesville Future Fund?
Started in 2009, the Future Fund is a giving circle in the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation. The Future Fund is an affordable way to leverage your charitable contribution with other 20, 30, and 40 somethings to support Charlottesville nonprofits. The Fund is a great way to engage in philanthropy, learn about the community and meet new people. All members have the opportunity to vote for the Future Fund grant recipient. Some members may choose to be involved minimally, while others may join committees to plan events, recruit members and participate in the grants review process. In the inaugural year, 96 members pooled $30,000 and chose the grantmaking theme of education. After a review process by the Grants Committee and presentations by the nonprofit finalists the full membership voted to provide Charlottesville High School with a grant to support the Charlottesville High School WALK Program.
Why join the Charlottesville Future Fund?
• The Fund will allow you to engage in philanthropy with your peers. You will share what you know, and you will learn about the issues facing Charlottesville and the nonprofits that work to make our community a better place.
• It’s a great way to meet new people and interact with other young professionals.
When can I join the Charlottesville Future Fund?
Now! Click here to fill out a membership form.
What are the membership dues?
The annual membership fees are as follows:
Age 20-29 $200.00/person
Age 30-39 $300.00/person
Age 40-49 $400.00/person
• Membership dues can be made in incremental payments by check or credit card.
• Those who are able to do so are encouraged to give at a higher level annually to further expand the fund.
• Contributions are fully tax deductible.
Once I join, what are my obligations?
Members can participate as much or as little as they want. At the minimal level, each member will be asked to vote for the charities of their choice using an online voting process. Someone looking to be more involved can participate in committees, plan events, recruit members and participate in the grant review process. We hope that leaders will emerge from the membership to coordinate the Fund, but CACF staff will always be there for support.
Where do the membership dues go?
• 99% of the membership dues collected each year will be granted out to nonprofit organizations in the Charlottesville area annually by the Future Fund membership.
• Consistent with other CACF funds there will be a 1% administrative fee on the pooled dues to partially offset the cost for CACF to operate the fund.
How will the group make decisions on which nonprofits to fund?
• The Future Fund membership will choose one area of focus or “theme” for the first year of grantmaking. For the inaugural year the membership has decided the theme will be Education.
• Nonprofit organizations in Charlottesville and Albemarle are eligible to apply for Future Fund grants.
• One large grant or several small grants will be awarded.
• The Grants Committee, which is a voluntary committee, will streamline the grant proposals that are submitted and create a slate of recommendations for the full Future Fund membership to vote on.
• Grants Committee members will go on site visits and nonprofit finalists will make presentations to the membership.
What if my nonprofit of choice doesn’t end up getting funded?
This is a possibility. With every member having one vote, the nonprofits receiving the majority of the votes will receive the funding. However, we believe that through the process the membership will be happy with the collective will of the group. There are many deserving nonprofits in our area, and as we hope this will become an annual initiative, these nonprofits will have many opportunities to benefit from this new source of funding.
We also hope that you will learn through this process about issues that you may not have known about –or supported-- previously.
And finally, in addition to collectively giving, we encourage everyone to support the nonprofits they care about directly (or support the CACF Community Endowment, which makes dozens of grants to local nonprofits each year).
How can I help grow the Fund?
• Become a member! Membership for the 2009-2010 year has closed, but please join the Future Fund next September.
What are the Cocktails and Conversations events?
There are three Cocktails and Conversations a year, planned by the events committee, for the Future Fund membership. They will be social events that also provide information about a local issue that the membership conveys an interest in learning more about.
Who is eligible to join?
Any 20, 30 or 40 somethings in the Charlottesville area. Those 50 and older may choose to support the Future Fund by sponsoring someone to participate, providing matching grants to the Future Fund awards, or making a donation to support the operational expenses of the Fund (recruitment events for example).
How can my business support the Future Fund?
Consider underwriting Future Fund Cocktails and Conversations, recruitment and grant award events - -or matching the donations of the Future Fund membership.
Want to learn more about joining the Charlottesville Future Fund?
To learn more please contact Sofia Case, Donor Relations and Programs Assistant, at 434-296-1024 or scase@cacfonline.org. Also, check out the Charlottesville Future Fund facebook page www.facebook.com/futurefund