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Types of Funds
The Dallas Foundation offers a range of different funds providing enormous flexibility in fulfilling your charitable objectives. Whether you want to benefit a community, a cause, or many charities, we can structure a fund to meet your needs.
Unrestricted funds benefit the Dallas community as a whole. They enable The Dallas Foundation to respond to changing community needs and emergencies, to support innovative solutions to community problems and to enhance the quality of community life. No restrictions are placed on how these funds can be used, leaving their most effective charitable application to the expertise and discretion of the Foundation's Board of Governors.
Field of Interest funds support a cause important to you, such as education, the arts, social services or health. The Dallas Foundation Board of Governors then awards grants on the basis of competitive applications to the most appropriate programs or organizations within the field of interest specified.
Designated funds ensure that permanent support will be provided to specific charities named by the donor. A unique feature of this type of fund is the variance power, which ensures that your gift will always be used effectively. With the variance power, The Dallas Foundation can redirect a charitable fund if the original purpose cannot be served. For example, if an agency went out of business, the Foundation could use the funds to support another group doing similar work.
Agency funds are the permanent and non-permanent endowments of nonprofit organizations, which provide perpetual support for a particular charity. Any charity can establish such a fund at the Foundation.
Scholarship funds are dedicated to the continued education or training of children or adults. Scholarship programs may be designed to meet certain specifications, such as supporting students in a specific area of study, rewarding academic achievement, mitigating financial need or supporting students from a particular high school.
Advised funds allow you to be more involved as a donor. You may recommend distributions at any time to nonprofit organizations, changing as your interests and community needs change. Similar to a private foundation, an advised fund gives you flexibility and convenience.
Type of
Fund |
How Created |
Reason for Selection |
Areas of Interest and Type of Support |
Decision Making |
Unrestricted |
Direct gift or bequest |
Donor feels gratitude to city, wants to provide for future needs |
Any area of interest; usually grants are capital |
Board of Governors |
Field of
Interest |
Direct gift or bequest |
Donor wants to perpetually support favorite causes, like animal welfare or education |
Donor states an area of interest and type of support |
Board of Governors |
Designated |
Donor establishes for agency's benefit by direct gift or bequest |
Donor wants to support favorite organizations in perpetuity, with assurance that intentions will be honored |
Donor names agency and type of support; Foundation staff monitors for compliance |
Board of Governors renews authority for distributions annually |
Agency |
Nonprofit agency establishes for its own benefit by direct gift |
Agency wants to protect its endowment and benefit from investment economies of scale |
Agency decides how funds will be used, usually for operations |
Board of Governors renews authority for distributions annually |
Scholarship |
Donor establishes fund, usually by direct gift, and fund criteria |
Donor wants to memorialize a loved one, build employee morale, or promote education |
Donor may limit areas of study; grants may be scholarships or fellowships |
Board of Governors, on recommendation of scholarship advisory committee |
Advised |
Donor establishes fund, usually by direct gift, and recommends grantees periodically |
Donor wants to give with greatest efficiency and convenience |
Donor recommends areas of interest and type of support |
Board of Governors, on recommendation of donor advisor |
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