The Community Foundation

Corporate Giving

Corporate Charitable Fund Program

The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee strives to promote and facilitate charitable giving in the 40 counties of Middle Tennessee. We began the Corporate Charitable Fund Program to do just that: make sure that more money gets to more non-profits — and the people they serve — at the least cost possible, through the creation of Advised Funds. In each of the past five years, The Community Foundation’s overhead has run at eight-tenths of one percent or less.

As a Corporate Leader, here is how you can benefit from a Corporate Charitable Fund:

Charitable Giving becomes comfortable, convenient, and cost-effective once again.
In an era of ever-lengthening lines of charitable solicitors, corporate charity has become an expensive proposition. It takes time to hear requests, it takes time to review these requests and evaluate the organizations, and after the decisions are made, it takes time to write the checks and do the bookkeeping.

With an Advised Fund at The Community Foundation, the corporate treasurer writes only one check — or makes only one gift of stock — to The Foundation, not many to multiple charities. One gift takes care of the corporate tax deduction and establishes or increases a Fund from which grants may be made for years to come.

In our community, corporations are called upon to give every year — not just in the profitable ones.
Wouldn’t it be nice to set aside charitable funds in the “good” years and be able to use them to continue giving in years which may be less profitable? With an Advised Fund for your firm or company, you can set aside money when it makes sense for tax planning purposes and spread out the grants over time. The Foundation owns and invests the funds in a diversified portfolio from which grants are made based on your written recommendations.

Using The Community Foundation can increase profits. You can “Do Well By Doing Good.”
Using The Foundation’s Corporate Charitable Fund program can cut costs and increase the scope and effectiveness of your giving. Instead of highly-compensated, busy corporate officers fielding and evaluating requests, you can “outsource” the administrative aspects to The Foundation. "We do all our giving through The Community Foundation" is becoming an increasingly common response. The message signals that the non-profits will be courteously received, be given information on the corporation’s charitable priorities, experience fair and full evaluation of proposals, and be clearly informed about grant decisions. Corporate officers recommend projects for grants, receive summary reviews of proposals, and, if desired, solicit advice from The Foundation’s knowledgeable staff.

The bottom line.
The Corporate Charitable Fund Program is a win-win-win opportunity: you are freed up to earn the most you can, The Foundation fulfills its mission of promoting and facilitating philanthropy, and, through cost-effective administration, more money than ever gets to the charities and individuals who need it.

To learn more, please call (615)321-4939,
or toll-free (888)540-5200.

Online Giving

Make a gift online
click here

Featured Funds

The Olive Branch Fund: A Thisbe and Noah Scott Legacy
It is the mission of The Olive Branch Fund: A Thisbe and Noah Scott Legacy to promote research, awareness, and support for families of all pediatric motor neuron diseases, including Brown-Vialetto-Van Laere.
give online

Tennessee Farm Disaster Response Fund
The Tennessee Farm Bureau has established this Fund to help agricultural producers hit by the recent tornadoes that swept through Tennessee February 5, 2008.
give online

Upcoming Events

The Brooks Fund Wanderlust Travel Raffle
Friday, June 13
Cannery Ballroom
Buy tickets

Alex LeVasseur Memorial Skate Festival
Sunday, June 29
Jim Warren Park