Donor Giving > Benefits of Agency Endowments

Photo Credit: Courtesy of the Ojai Music Festival.

The Ojai Music Festival has an endowment at VCCF that helps it fund its youth programs.

Agency endowments: How and why to open a fund

Charitable organizations committed to providing services over extended periods of time can be immeasurably strengthened by a permanent endowment program.  Research shows the larger an agency endowment grows the more capital it is likely to attract. 

What endowment funds do:

• Stabilize your operations, allow for long-range financial planning that gives you the means to weather volatile times. 
• Provide a reliable source of income for the life of the organization. 

Income from the endowment can provide critically needed funds that enable an organization to:

• Supplement annual operating programs beyond current year funding.
• Allocate seed money for new programs which cannot be supported through normal annual campaign funds.
• Accumulate funds to replace and renew physical facilities. 
• Help sustain an organization in case of emergency or serious cutbacks in annual giving. 
• Promote an agency across a wider range of constituents and supporters.
• Provide a vehicle for planned or deferred gifts from donors.

For a list of agency endowments, click here

Setting up your agency endowment with VCCF is simple.  All that is required is:

• A name for your fund
• A purpose for your fund, such as what programs you wish to support
• Approval of your board and the minutes that reflect that approval
• A copy of your Articles of Incorporation.
• A minimum contribution of $1,000 with an agreement to raise at least $10,000 in endowment funds within 4 years. 

For more information or to open a fund, contact:
Lindsay Smith

805.988.0196 #115