Many people establish legacy funds at our Community Foundation while they are alive; others make provisions for an end-of-life gift as part of their will or estate plans.  Legacy gifts provide ongoing funding for something you care about for years to come.

Thinking about your charitable legacy

As you think about your own charitable legacy, here are some questions you might want to consider: Are there family members (your parents, your spouse or another loved one) you would like to honor and memorialize by setting up a legacy fund in their name to support something near and dear to their hearts?

Is there a group where you are a member (e.g., your church, a service club) or an organization which you would like to support by setting up an endowment to continue providing annual contributions of financial support in your name?

What community organizations or causes have you been involved with – as a client, volunteer, donor or board member – that mattered the most to you? Why is this organization or cause important to you? Would you want to support it in an ongoing way?

Why Choose Western Colorado Community Foundation?

• Commitment to western Colorado – we are a regional, placed-based organization whose board and staff all live in the community.
• Maximum tax benefits – we are a 501(c)(3) public charity offering full charitable tax deductions as allowed by the IRS.
• Complex gifts – we can accept a wide range of assets, from cash and stock to real estate, royalty interests and business holdings.
• Administrative ease – we take care of all legal, tax and accounting reporting so you don’t have to.
• Low fees – our administrative fees are less expensive than establishing a private foundation.
• Community expertise – we conduct research and share our knowledge of community needs and nonprofit organizations with our donors to help them maximize their philanthropic impact.
• Community of donors – you are part of a larger circle of donors who can learn from each other and work together to make a difference.
• Charitable legacy – your donation will be well-managed and used for the purposes you intend, invested over the long-term and benefiting the community for generations.

Most common ways to establish a charity in an estate plan are below.

Our Community Foundation appreciates and recognizes the planning and foresight of scores of individuals and couples who have made provisions to leave a charitable legacy gift to benefit western Colorado and have included WCCF in their will or estate plan. Please let us know about your plans so that we may thank you and keep you up-to-date on our activities. And, if you are comfortable, we’d like to recognize you as a member of our Legacy Society.

Thank you!

These are individuals who have informed WCCF of their intentions. We do not mean to omit any names. If you have made plans for a future gift and would like to be recognized as a member of our Legacy Society or would like more information about planning a charitable legacy gift, please call (970) 243-3767.