Endowment funds established at the Community Foundation offer a unique avenue to make a lasting impact. Any gift you make will be there to provide support in perpetuity. 

The Fund for the Future was established to address evolving needs of Cambria, Bedford, and Somerset counties today, tomorrow, and forever. It’s also one of the funds that our Distribution Committee uses to make grants twice each year to local nonprofits.

A contribution to our Fund for the Future is a gift to the many local nonprofits who apply for grants for programs and projects that help care for your friends and neighbors here in our home region. You can also provide support directly to the Somerset County Community Fund, the Bedford County Community Fund, or any of our Pathfinder Funds that support specific causes within our community.

Or, you can reach out to us today to find out about endowments that support specific causes. We are honored to help donors like you care for our community in the ways that matter most to them.

Our Memorial Fund was established to help you honor the legacy of your loved one in a meaningful and permanent way. Donations support unrestricted grantmaking as determined by the Foundation's Distribution Committee, through the Fund for the Future. This special fund is endowed, so any contribution you make on behalf of a loved one will be there to support local causes forever.

Our Memorial Scholarship Fund provides a similar service, with contributions directed to support pathways to higher education for local students.

Both funds provide an opportunity to honor loved ones in a lasting way. CLICK HERE to download instructions for including CFA in an obituary.

CLICK HERE to see individuals and families who have been honored by contributions to the Memorial Fund and the Memorial Scholarship Fund.

For more than 30 years, we've helped people like you make a difference in the ways that matter most to them. You can do this by supporting an existing fund, or we can help you determine the type of fund that meets your needs and goals in the most impactful way possible. 

The first step is to consider the causes that matter most to you. Are you interested in supporting early childhood education? Community building? A particular region? We can also help you determine whether an immediate gift or a planned giving option will help you reach your financial and philanthropic goals. We can even work with your financial advisor to create the best possible outcome for you—and the community we all love.

Reach out to CFA Director of Donor Services Katrina Perkosky at 814-208-8411 or kperkosky@cfalleghenies.org to get started.

We welcome the opportunity to work with you now, to understand what causes are important to you so we can carefully manage your estate gift exactly as you wish. Our Legacy Society recognizes those who have thoughtfully planned ahead and have included the foundation in their estates.

Ultimately, you can give to an existing fund or make an unrestricted gift to the Community Foundation by inserting some simple language into your will. CLICK HERE to see sample bequest language. 

The Community Foundation offers a variety of fund types, each designed to meet the specific goals of the donor:

Donor Advised Funds: Donors enjoy administrative convenience, cost savings, and tax advantages. Each year, they recommend nonprofits in which they want to invest, and the Community Foundation does all the work in administering those grants.

Designated Funds: Donors may choose up to four specific charitable organizations to support.

Field-of-Interest Funds: Donors identify an area of personal interest, such as the arts, economic development, education, the environment, health, housing, basic human services, seniors, or youth. Within that area of interest, the Community Foundation identifies the best philanthropic use of the fund’s distributions, now and into the future.

Scholarship Funds: Donors can honor loved ones, inspire young people, and invest in the community’s future generations.

Unrestricted Funds: These funds provide flexibility by allowing our Distribution Committee and staff to use their knowledge and expertise in determining which efforts or initiatives would be most impactful for the community. These funds address our community’s pressing needs and promising opportunities. We receive more than 200 applications annually from local nonprofits seeking support from these funds.

Agency Funds: Donors provide ongoing support to a pre-determined nonprofit, while the CFA handles investments and administrative responsibilities, allowing the organization to focus on their mission.

Administrative Funds: Donors can invest in the Community Foundation and further its charitable purposes by helping to defray its expenses. The long-term goal of the Community Foundation is to be supported entirely by its administrative endowment fund.

Partnership Funds: The Community Foundation manages donations on behalf of grassroots activists, and funding is redistributed to benefit local initiatives.

To discuss how we can help you pursue your philanthropic interests, contact Director of Donor Services Katrina Perkosky at 814-208-8411 or kperkosky@cfalleghenies.org.