The Community Foundation of North Central Wisconsin is a nonprofit community corporation, created by and for the people of north central Wisconsin. We exist to enrich life for present and future generations.

Our goals are to:

• Responsibly solicit, manage, and distribute philanthropic assets created by charitable gifts and bequests.
• Communicate opportunities and benefits of philanthropy to communities served.
• Demonstrate leadership and act as a catalyst to design programs and identify issues in collaboration with other foundations, corporations, organizations, and communities.
• Engage in creative and sensitive grant making to enrich communities served. Devote special emphasis to education, the arts, health and human services, and the preservation of historical, cultural, and natural resources.

Simply put, the Community Foundation of North Central Wisconsin provides people with a variety of easy, secure, and effective ways to “give back” to their communities. We invest in the long term and bring people and organizations together to facilitate philanthropic giving that is responsive to local needs. In short, we help you build community.

Our professional staff has the expertise to help you:

• Explore your giving options
• Establish funds in honor or memory of friends and loved ones
• Create personalized funds that reflect your values and interests
• Contribute to existing funds
• Learn more about local organizations and programs that make a difference in areas you care about most
• Ensure that the causes you support during your lifetime continue to be supported after your death

In most cases your gifts, which can include cash, stocks, property, bequests, and other assets, qualify for maximum tax advantages under federal law.

The Community Foundation of North Central Wisconsin is one of 700 nonprofit community foundations nationwide. Created in 1987 by and for the people of north central Wisconsin, we adhere to the National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations, a stringent code of ethics which ensure that our organization operates with the utmost integrity.

One: personalized service.
We make giving easy and effective, accepting a wide variety of gifts and providing donors a number of charitable options. You can contribute cash, stocks, property, and bequests. You may establish a fund in your name or in the name of a loved one. In most cases, your gift qualifies for maximum tax advantage under federal law.

Two: local expertise.
Our professional staff has an in-depth understanding of the issues, opportunities, and resources that shape our community. They monitor all areas of community needs and can help you learn more about local organizations and programs that make a difference in areas you care about most.

Three: community leadership.
We invest in the long term and bring people and organizations together, convening diverse voices to address local issues and opportunities. Our business is building community.

1. We are a local organization with deep roots in the community.
2. Our professional staff has broad expertise regarding community issues and needs.
3. We provide highly personalized service tailored to each individual’s charitable and financial interests.
4. Our funds help people invest in the causes they care about most.
5. We accept a wide variety of assets, and can facilitate even the most complex forms of giving.
6. We partner with professional advisors to create highly effective approaches to charitable giving.
7. We offer maximum tax advantages for most gifts under federal law.
8. We multiply the impact of gift dollars by pooling them with other gifts and grants.
9. We build endowment funds that benefit the community forever and help create personal legacies.
10. We are a community leader, convening agencies and coordinating resources to create positive change.

Creating a fund through the Community Foundation is a highly effective – and highly personal way to achieve your philanthropic goals. We offer flexible giving options and accept gifts of stocks, bonds, real estate, cash, and other assets. Most charitable gifts qualify for maximum tax advantages under federal law. Once your fund has been established, experienced program staff, community leadership, and professional investment management combine to ensure that your fund is administered thoughtfully and responsibly.

When you create a charitable fund through the Community Foundation, your gift – and earnings from your gift – become a permanent source of community capital. This endowment is used to make grants that meet the needs of the community during your lifetime and beyond. Grants continue to be made in the name of the fund you establish so that your wishes are preserved forever.

In addition to helping families and individuals establish new endowments, we hold existing endowments for nonprofit organizations. This provides them with a constant source of funding to respond to emergency needs, plan for the future, and sustain their charitable activities.

Integrating philanthropy into your financial planning is an excellent way to care for your community, now and in the future – and it is easier than you might think. For more ideas and information, ask your financial advisor, or contact the Community Foundation.