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How to build an endowment for your not-for-profit organisation with a Future Fund

Profile of Dom O'Donnell
Written by Dom O'DonnellPosted on 2/2/2023
How to build an endowment for your not-for-profit organisation with a Future Fund

At Australian Communities Foundation, we’re all about resourcing the important work of not-for-profit (NFP) organisations. 

Over the past 25 years, we have distributed over $100 million on behalf of our giving community. While our role as a significant funder in the NFP sector is well known, our Future Fund offering for NFPs remains one of the sector’s best-kept secrets. 

Read on to find out how a Future Fund can support your not-for-profit organisation’s long-term sustainability.

What is a Future Fund?

Establishing a Future Fund is an easy, tax-effective and strategic way for not-for-profit organisations to develop their long-term sustainability. With a low-cost fee structure, a Future Fund enables you to build an endowment for your not-for-profit organisation.

How it works

1. Establish your Fund

With a minimum initial contribution of $20,000, start building your organisation’s long-term sustainability with a Future Fund. Donations into the Fund can be tax-deductible.

2. Build your endowment

You can make additional contributions at any time and invite tax-deductible donations from the public. All donations are responsibly invested and returns from investments are tax-exempt.

3. Access your money

Access your Future Fund assets for any purpose, including operational costs. You can continue to build your endowment in perpetuity or choose to draw down the funds over time.

Fundraising and donation infrastructure

When you open a Future Fund, you can accept tax-deductible donations via a form integrated with your website or a custom donation page on our online portal, where you can have your own custom donation page. You can also use our fundraising licences in every state and territory.

A Future Fund can also help expand your organisation’s supporter base by offering an independent and secure option for donor gifts, including bequests.

Ethical investing

All money in your Future Fund is ethically invested, which means your endowment is doing good while it is sitting there waiting to be granted back to your organisation. This is a unique value proposition for your donors too – their donations are doing good while sitting in the Fund.

Staying up to date with our investments means you can communicate with supporters about the good your endowment is doing. As part of our ethical approach to investing, we’re now actively seeking positive social and environmental outcomes through the Foundation’s first impact investments

Connect with our giving community

As a Future Fund holder, you’ll have access to all the benefits our giving community enjoys, including exclusive invitations to thought leadership events and Learning Circles. These events bring together donors and community partners, and can be great networking opportunities for your organisation. 

Future Fund holders are also given the opportunity to be featured in a community story and promoted in our donor newsletters.

Get started

Contact us below before submitting a Fund Establishment Form.

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