Your partner in charitable giving.
Caring, giving donors are at the heart of The Community Foundation. Their partnership is key to developing an enduring source of charitable assets to benefit our community today, tomorrow, and always.
Who gives?
Neighbors who care about Muncie and Delaware County.
Donors to The Community Foundation generally have a connection to Muncie and Delaware County. They live in our community and all over the world.
Many donors choose to make their gift to The Community Foundation because we are here forever. A gift today will make a difference today, tomorrow, and always.
How to Give
The Community Foundation offers many ways to give.
The Community Foundation accepts gifts of all amounts and in many forms including cash, check, online, stock gifts, real estate, and more. Donors may choose to make a one-time in honor or memory of a special person in their lives, annual gifts to support community grantmaking, or establish a named fund to create a lasting legacy.
The Community Foundation staff are your partner in charitable giving. We would love to hear your charitable goals and help you get there. Donors may consider giving to an existing fund or establish a new fund.
Types of Funds
Unrestricted Funds - Establish a legacy that grows and changes with the community, used for grants to nonprofit organizations serving Muncie and Delaware County.
Field of Interest Fund - Support a cause that matters to you.
Designated Fund - Name a particular charity or charities to benefit from your gift.
Donor Advised Fund - Take a role in recommending which nonprofit organizations will benefit from grants.
Scholarship Fund - Provide financial support to students in our community.
Legacy Society
Members of our Legacy Society have shared with us that the Foundation has been included in their estate plans. Joining the Legacy Society is simple. There is no minimum gift requirement. You only need to share that you plan to include The Community Foundation in your estate plan. There are many ways to make a planned gift:
In your will (a bequest)
As a beneficiary of an I.R.A
Charitable Remainder Trust
Charitable Gift Annuities
Gifts of Life Insurance
Charitable Lead Trusts
Donor Story
Greg Huffman's Legacy gift continues his support of Muncie Civic Theatre Forever
The Muncie Civic Theatre has seen growth over the last several years. Gregory Huffman, a Muncie Civic Theatre board member since the 1980s, was a key player in Civic's growth.
"Our board has always been a working board, and Greg was a champion of that," said Laura Williamson, executive director of Muncie Civic Theatre. "I never felt like calling him and asking for his advice was bothering him. It felt like he was happy to be included."
Greg had a plan to provide continued support for Civic's growth. He joined The Community Foundation's Legacy Society by notifying the Foundation of his plan to include the Muncie Civic Theatre Fund at The Community Foundation in his estate plan. The Foundation was listed as a beneficiary on an IRA account belonging to Greg – a simple but effective way to benefit a favorite charity with a planned gift.
Donors who join the Legacy Society build a relationship with the Foundation during their lifetime and can be assured that their contribution will be used as planned once it is realized. When Greg passed away in early 2022, The Community Foundation and Muncie Civic Theatre were notified of a gift that would come from his estate to the Foundation to benefit the Muncie Civic Theatre Fund.
The planned gift was unexpected to Civic's board and staff. Still, Laura explained, "Knowing what the Theatre meant to Greg, knowing that his friends were there, and all he had put into it over the years, it wasn't surprising he would continue his legacy where he put such a large investment of time and energy."
“It wasn’t surprising he would continue his legacy where he put such a large investment of time and energy.”
The Muncie Civic Theatre Fund is a designated endowment fund held for the benefit of Civic at The Community Foundation. The Muncie Civic Theatre Board of Directors held a special fundraising campaign to start the fund in 1992. Greg was part of the board when the fund was established and had a chance to see its impact over the years.
Undoubtedly, Muncie Civic Theatre was a special place to Greg Huffman. His legacy gift to The Community Foundation will impact Civic and the community who love the theatre today, tomorrow, and always.
Donor Services
Resources to simplify your giving.
Online Giving
You can easily make a gift via credit card to using our online donation portal.
Fund Portal
Fund founders of certain funds can access the Fund Portal, an online center to view fund balances, grantmaking history, and semi-annual fund statements.
Charitable Planning Toolkit
The Community Foundation’s Charitable Planning Toolkit was developed as a resource for professional advisors to guide you in making decisions about your charitable goals.
Memorial and Honorary Gifts
The Community Foundation accepts gifts in honor and memory of special people. Donors may also indicate people to notify of their gifts. Honorariums will be recognized in print newsletters and annual reports.
Donor Bill of Rights
Philanthropy is based on voluntary action for the common good.
It is a tradition of giving and sharing that is primary to the quality of life. To ensure that philanthropy merits the respect and trust of the general public, and that donors and prospective donors can have full confidence in the not-for-profit organizations and causes they are asked to support, we declare that all donors have these rights:
To be informed of the organization’s mission, of the way the organization intends to use donated resources, and of its capacity to use donations effectively for their intended purposes.
To be informed of the identity of those serving on the organization’s governing board, and to expect the board to exercise prudent judgment in its stewardship responsibilities.
To have access to the organization’s most recent financial statements.
To be assured their gifts will be used for the purposes for which they were given.
To receive appropriate acknowledgment and recognition.
To be assured that information about their donation is handled with respect and with confidentiality to the extent provided by law.
To expect that all relationships with individuals representing organizations of interest to the donor will be professional in nature.
To be informed whether those seeking donations are volunteers, employees of the organization or hired solicitors.
To have the opportunity for their names to be deleted from mailing lists that an organization may intend to share.
To feel free to ask questions when making a donation and to receive prompt, truthful and forthright answers.
Developed by: Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP), the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), and the Giving Institute: Leading Consultants to Non-Profits.
The Community Foundation of Muncie and Delaware County, Inc. adheres to the AFP Code of Ethical Principles and Standards.
Frequently Asked Questions
Some of the most common questions we receive are answered below.
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Cash or Check or Credit Card
Gifts of cash are often preferable for people who make smaller contributions. Whether your gift is in honor of a friend or loved one or to meet your personal charitable wishes, cash gifts help us support Muncie and all of Delaware County.
Appreciated Assets Such as Stock or Property
Contributions of securities are attractive to people who have held stocks or bonds for a long period of time, especially when the appreciation is so great that the capital gains tax would take a substantial portion of the value if they were liquidated. Gifts of appreciated securities enable you to make a significantly larger contribution than the original cost of the securities.
Real Estate
Many people own long-term, highly appreciated real estate they no longer use or no longer want to manage. In many cases, owners are looking for tax-efficient ways to pass the property on or convert it into an income stream. If you are one of these fortunate property owners, you may want to consider how philanthropy can unlock earning potential, create tax savings, and make an important difference to our work.
Estate Gift (In Your Will)
The most popular way of providing long-term support for a meaningful charitable organization is to make a gift in a will. With some foresight, you can make a gift in your will that fulfills specific planning goals as an integral part of an estate plan. Join the Legacy Society.
Life Insurance
There are several ways to give through life insurance. You may make a cash gift, asking that the Foundation use the contribution to purchase a policy on your life, or you can give an already-owned policy. You may also assign the dividends of a policy as a gift or name The Community Foundation as a beneficiary. In addition to estate tax benefits, this giving strategy also provides an additional income tax deduction.
Crops
Through a gift of grain, you avoid including the sale of grain in your farm income. Although a charitable income tax deduction is generally not available, the avoidance of declaring the income may be a significant benefit.
Charitable Lead and Remainder Trusts
A charitable lead trust allows a donor to name The Community Foundation and other charities as beneficiaries of a specified percentage of income from a trust for a set number of years. Ultimately, the bulk of the trust reverts to other named beneficiaries, such as children or grandchildren.
A charitable remainder trust offers a triple advantage. First, you receive an immediate tax deduction for a charitable gift. Second, assets are removed from your estate avoiding future estate taxes. And third, you or someone you select can receive a lifetime of income from your gift.
Charitable Gift Annuities
A charitable gift annuity is a popular and simple way to contribute to charity and also receive an income, which often allows donors to make larger gifts than would otherwise have been possible.
Private Foundation Transfer
Transferring a private foundation will preserve the identity and purposes of the original donor and family members. There are no taxes to pay and The Community Foundation assumes all administrative responsibilities. Additionally, a private foundation transfer offers flexibility, administrative savings, bi-annual reports and automatic annual audits. You have the satisfaction of knowing a permanent organization is in place to carry out your wishes in the future.
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Donors may give to an existing fund or establish a new fund.
Unrestricted Fund: Living legacies that grow and change with the community, used for grants to nonprofit organizations serving Muncie and Delaware County.
Field of Interest Fund: Supports a cause without naming specific charities.
Designated Fund: Select a particular charity or charities to benefit from your endowed gift.
Donor Advised Fund: Take a role in recommending what nonprofit organizations will benefit from grants.
Scholarship Fund: Providing financial support to students in our community.
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The Community Foundation of Muncie and Delaware County, Inc., makes grants to nonprofit organizations working in areas of arts and culture, community betterment, economic development, education, and human services.
We offer a variety of grant programs such as:
Community grants funded through our unrestricted and field of interest funds.
Teacher grants funded through our Robert P. Bell Education Grants program.
Donor advised grants which gives donors the ability to make recommendations as to which nonprofit organizations should receive a grant.
Scholarships to help students achieve their educational goals.
The Community Foundation’s endowed funds grant more than $3.5 million back into the community each year, and as our endowment grows, so does that amount. Learn more about our grantees.
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Using the Foundation to give is personal, simple and flexible. Because the legal tools are already in place, and existing forms are available, a fund can be established - and all applicable tax advantages can be obtained - in a very short time.
There are many ways to give to the Foundation. Working with your professional advisors and our staff, we can help you identify how your resources can best be put to use to provide you with financial benefit and meet your charitable goals. Utilizing specific types of gifts such as life insurance, charitable trusts and establishing certain types of funds like unrestricted or donor advised funds can provide financial benefits and tax advantages.
Just as each of our donors is unique, each donor’s giving decisions impact their financial and tax benefits. Contact us today to discuss the ways that we can help maximize your advantages through your gift.
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To support your community and the things you care about. We offer considerable expertise regarding the needs and opportunities within Muncie and Delaware County. We are always here to talk with you about the best ways to direct your donations to meet your personal philanthropic goals. We strive to provide personalized ways to give.
You can read more about why others in our community choose to donate on our donors page, or feel free to contact us anytime to discuss your charitable desires and how The Community Foundation might help you meet your goals.
We aim to be a true resource for our community and are able to put to use gifts both small and large.
