You are passionate about our community, and we are too. Whether you want to organize and focus your giving, support a specific cause, work together to help make the Triangle region thrive for future generations, provide scholarships for students, or roll up your sleeves and get involved, Triangle Community Foundation is here to help. We offer many different options for your giving, provide expertise about the needs and challenges in our region, and are committed to strong financial management.
Types of Funds
Individuals, families, corporations, institutions, or nonprofit organizations may establish funds with us. We make it easy to establish a charitable fund that meets your personal needs and creates a legacy for you, and for the community. Whatever your philanthropic goals, we have the flexibility and tools to help you reach them.
Field-of-Interest Funds
Field-of-interest funds are established to support unspecified programs or organizations in a general field of interest (such as the arts or the environment) important to the donor. This type of fund serves as a permanent endowment, and the Foundation will carry out the purpose you choose, today and for generations to come.
This is a good fund option to support our Fund for the Triangle in perpetuity.
Giving Circle Funds
Giving Circles are established by donors who are interested in pooling their charitable dollars to make a greater impact in the community. Giving circles have memberships, their own activities and events, and make grants as a group.
Designated Funds
Designated funds are established by the donor to support one or more specific nonprofit organizations or programs. If a designated organization ceases to exist, the Foundation works with the donor or advisor to identify a similar program that maintains the spirit of the original charitable intent.
This is a good fund option to support our Fund for the Triangle in perpetuity.
Donor-advised Funds
Donor-advised funds are established by donors who wish to have the ability to make recommendations as to how all individual grants from the fund are spent. Although federal tax law requires that the Foundation make the ultimate decisions on grant distributions, Triangle Community Foundation makes every effort to follow our donors’ wishes. Donor-advised funds are a tax-advantaged, convenient way to organize your personal philanthropy or corporate giving program.
Scholarship Funds
Scholarship and award funds are established by donors who want to support a student’s growth through educational opportunities or by recognition of success in a particular discipline. Donors may recommend an academic focus for their scholarship fund, eligibility criteria, and often work in committees to choose recipients.
Agency Funds
Agency funds are established by nonprofit organizations using their operating reserves or existing endowments to benefit their organizations. These funds allow for access to our professional investment management and planned giving expertise. We believe in a strong local ecosystem of nonprofits, and protecting an organization’s legacy is one of the ways that happens.
Collective Giving
You do not have to open a fund to give through the Foundation. We offer several other ways to give back to the community by partnering with us, whether you are a current fundholder or not.
Fund for the Triangle
Fund for the Triangle is the Foundation’s unrestricted fund, set up to benefit directly our impact areas now and for the future. We are dedicated to enhancing the lives of everyone in the Triangle, and one of the ways we are able to do that is by focusing direct funding, research, and convenings in these areas. We strongly believe that by making a collective impact, we can change the face of the future for our region.
Giving Together
Our Giving Together program increases impact by pooling Foundation and donor resources to support strong organizations and collaborations making a difference in our community. By encouraging collective giving with our generous fundholders for critical issues, we can better support a strong ecosystem of nonprofit organizations in the Triangle. The nonprofit partners highlighted through each Giving Together initiative are doing critical work in our community to help people in need, and we believe in them.
Disaster Relief
In the event of a major disaster, natural or otherwise, the Foundation works with nonprofits on the ground to compile the best, up to date and current resources for giving.
Join the Hitchings Legacy Society
Membership is initiated by the donor(s) who wish to make an impact beyond their lifetime. Donors planning to leave all or a portion of their estate to Triangle Community Foundation are enrolled in this society upon disclosure to our staff. We have the expert resources to help with family and estate planning, so our donors can leave the legacy they so desire.