• How to give

    There are many ways to give through Desert Community Foundation, and the right one depends on what you are giving, and when. This page lays them out plainly, so you know what to ask for.

    Three ways to work with us

    Donor Advised Funds

    The most straightforward way to give with intention. You make a contribution, take the tax benefit at the time you give, and recommend grants to the causes you care about on your own timetable. A Donor Advised Fund is an efficient, cost-effective alternative to a private or family foundation — without the administration, the filings, or the standing costs.

    The Trusted Advisors Program

    If you would rather keep your own investment advisor managing your charitable dollars, you can. Your advisor stays in place; we handle the charitable side.

    Advisory-Administered Scholarship Funds

    We have managed scholarship programs across the Coachella Valley for more than twenty years, including for some of the Valley’s finest private clubs.

    See Get Involved for the detail on each.

    What you can give

    Most people assume charitable giving means writing a cheque. It can, but it is often not the most effective option available to you.

    Cash

    The simplest and most flexible. Easy to give, easy to direct, and immediately available for grantmaking.

    Appreciated stock or securities

    If you hold stock that has grown in value, giving it directly rather than selling it first is usually the more efficient route. This is the option donors are most often surprised to learn about.

    Real estate

    Property can become a charitable gift. It takes more conversation than a gift of cash, and it is worth starting that conversation early.

    Business interests

    Closely held stock and other business interests can be given. Again — early conversation.

    Gifts from an IRA

    If you hold an individual retirement account, there may be a way to give directly from it. Ask us, or ask your advisor, and we will walk through whether it fits your situation.

    Beneficiary designations

    Naming Desert Community Foundation as a beneficiary of a retirement account or life insurance policy is the simplest planned gift there is. It takes a form, not a lawyer, and it costs you nothing today.

    A gift in your will or trust

    See below.

    Leaving a gift in your will

    A bequest is the most common way people make a lasting gift, and one of the easiest. It costs nothing now, it can be changed at any time, and it lets you commit to the Valley’s future without giving anything up today.

    If you are working with an attorney on your will or trust, the wording below is what they will ask you for.

    Suggested bequest language

    “I give and bequeath to Desert Community Foundation, a California nonprofit corporation, Tax ID 95-4725924, located at 75-105 Merle Drive, Suite 300, Palm Desert, California 92211, the sum of $__________ (or ______ percent of the residue of my estate) to be used for its general charitable purposes.”

    To direct your gift to a particular fund, cause or community, name it here — or talk to us first, so we can make sure the wording matches what you intend.

    This is suggested wording only. Please have your own attorney review and adapt it before you rely on it — they will fit it to your estate, your state and your intentions.

    If you have already included us, please tell us. Not for recognition, unless you would like it. It simply means we can make sure your intent is recorded properly and honoured the way you meant it. A gift nobody knows about cannot be planned around.

    What we handle, what you decide

    We handle

    • Administration, compliance and filings
    • Due diligence on every organisation receiving your grants
    • Recordkeeping and gift receipting
    • The reporting that comes back to you

    You decide

    • Which causes
    • How much, and how often
    • Whether your giving is public or anonymous
    • The timetable, entirely

    That division is the whole point of giving through a community foundation. You keep the decisions that matter to you and hand over the ones that do not.

    Talk to your own advisor

    We are not tax or legal advisors, and the right structure genuinely depends on your circumstances. We work alongside your attorney, CPA or financial advisor, and we are glad to speak with them directly.

    Let’s talk

    Every fund we hold started with a conversation rather than a form.

    Mary Panesar, Executive Director
    mpanesar@desertfoundation.org · (760) 674-9080

    Desert Community Foundation · 75-105 Merle Drive, Suite 300, Palm Desert, CA 92211 · A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, EIN 95-4725924, serving the Coachella Valley since 1999.

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