Contact information

If you have questions about any aspect of granting from a donor advised fund, please contact:

Special FundsPhone: 780-426-0015, ext. 111E-mail: specialfunds@ecfoundation.orgFax: 780-425-0121Mail: 9910-103 Street,

Edmonton, AB, T5K 2V7

Thank you for choosing

Edmonton Community Foundation

to facilitate your philanthropic dreams.

Timeless contributions.

Endless possibilities.

Guideto taking action

As a holder of a donor advised fund at

Edmonton Community Foundation (ECF), you

may find this guide helpful in making decisions

about granting from your fund.

You can take action and provide ECF staff with

granting advice. If you have any questions

regarding granting, charities or your fund, please

contact us. ECF staff can help with all aspects of

the granting process.

Granting OptionsHolders of donor advised funds can provide advice in several ways:

• Provide annual advice – From May to November, simply let usknow the charity or charities you would like to support. We canalso provide grant suggestions within your particular area(s) ofinterest.

• Make a multi-year commitment – Some donors may wish toprovide a larger grant over two or more years, keeping in mindthat funds are subject to fluctuating markets and may not havestable amounts available to grant from year to year. Donors areadvised to be conservative with future commitments.

• Standing advice – ECF can act on standing advice until thedonor wishes to make a change in that advice.

• Community Investment Partnership – Twice annually, ECFproduces a guide of current grant requests that are beingconsidered. Donors may choose to partner with us to fund timelyand innovative projects in order to enhance the impact of ourgranting dollars.

• Community Grants Program – Rather than choose a specificcharity to fund, donors can direct their granting dollars to theCommunity Fund and request that a grant be made that fallswithin the intent and purpose of their fund. ECF staff will thenallocate net income to support emerging community projects.

• Student awards programs – ECF has several student awardsprograms. These programs support a diverse range of students –from young, aspiring musicians to older students returning toupgrade their skills. Donors can increase the impact of theseprograms by making a contribution.

• Youth Empowerment Program – Donors can support youthinitiated and organized projects. A Youth Advisory Committeereviews applications and makes grant recommendations.

• Donors can request that the net income be carried forward to thesubsequent fiscal year.

If no advice is received, the net income normally remains in the fund.

Important Dates• December 31 – Amounts available to grant (called“net income”) are based on a percentage of the fundbalance at the end of previous fiscal year.

• May – Donors will receive fund updates and a letterconfirming the net income.

• November 15 – Deadline for submitting any grantrecommendations to ensure payment in the currentcalendar year.

Providing Granting Advice• Grant advice must be submitted in writing to ECF.

• $200 is the minimum grant amount that donors canrecommend.

• Grants of $50,000 or more must be approved by ECF’sBoard of Directors, which may result in a delay beforethe grant payment can be made.

• Grants from donor advised funds are normally paid onthe last business day of each month; we appreciatereceiving your recommendations at least one week inadvance to allow time to process your request.

Who Can Receive Grants from ECFOnly “qualified donees” as defined by Canada Revenue Agency areeligible to receive grants through ECF. Qualified donees primarilyinclude:

• registered charities;

• registered Canadian amateur athletic associations;

• municipal, provincial, territorial or federal governments; and

• the United Nations and its agencies.

We are unable to support:

• any portion of a grant for which the donor will receive asignificant benefit in return (e.g. tickets, meals, advertising, etc.);

• non-profit agencies without charitable status and not otherwisedefined as a qualified donee;

• international charities not registered in Canada; or

• individuals except through our established scholarship programs.

More information on charities is available at http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/chrts-gvng/dnrs/menu-eng.html

Communications from Grant RecipientsUnless you request otherwise, the only information we will forward toyou from the recipients of your grant recommendations are letters ofacknowledgement and personalized invitations. We generally do notforward newsletters, annual reports, solicitations, and other generalmailings. We also do not normally request reports from grant recipientsof donor advised funds. Donors will not receive tax receipts for giftsfrom their fund.