1. Identify Your Passion

Is there a cause or an organization or a specific community that you are passionate
about their long term viability?

• How will you define your legacy?
• How involved do you (or your heirs) want to be involved in the decisions for the fund in
  the future?
• What will you name your fund? Is your fund being established in the name of your family,
  a cause or in memory of a loved one?

2. Define Your Objective

Once you’ve defined the objective of your fund, we will work with our partners at ECF and draft an agreement that captures your intentions. This is a straightforward document that explains, in writing, the goal of your fund, how involved you would like to be in allocating money, and other relevant details. There is no obligation for you as the donor — we simply want to ensure we’ve documented your wishes correctly.

3. Make Your Gift

After the agreement is in place, it’s time to make your gift. People tend to equate
endowment funds with millions of dollars. With SACF, you can create your endowment with $10,000. You can donate it all at once or take up to 10 years to reach the $10,000 minimum amount. This flexibility allows people from a variety of financial backgrounds to create endowment funds.

A receipt for tax purposes will be issued for every donation received. This includes gifts of cash, securities and bequests as well as gifts of life insurance and trusts. Our
charitable registration is 868755646RR0001.

The money in a fund is not immediately granted. Instead, your gift is invested through the Edmonton Community Foundation. This allows SASCF to reduce administrative costs and maximize investment potential. Once the funds have been invested for a minimum of one year, a percentage of the interest earned is granted out annually as per CRA regulations. Funds are then disbursed as per your stated wishes in your agreement.

4. Decide Your Involvement

Once your fund is ready to grant, your level of involvement going forward is your choice. You can add to your fund during your lifetime or make a gift later in your estate documents, like your will or life insurance — or a combination of both. You can stay active in the annual granting process or allow the Board to use their expertise of grants within the community.