Make one gift to benefit a number of organizations
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Grantmaking Endowment Fund
Gifts to the Community Grantmaking Endowment Fund increase the future distributions to our area organizations.
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Fund for Now
Gifts to the Fund For Now are in the current year for the on-going operations of the Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation.
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Impact Excellence
Gifts to the Impact Excellence Endowment Fund ensure programs and services will continue into the future for the area social impact, or non-profit, organizations.
Support local nonprofit organizations
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Grantmaking Endowment Fund
Gifts to the Community Grantmaking Endowment Fund increase the future distributions to our area organizations.
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Fund for Now
Gifts to the Fund For Now are in the current year for the on-going operations of the Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation.
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Impact Excellence
Gifts to the Impact Excellence Endowment Fund ensure programs and services will continue into the future for the area social impact, or non-profit, organizations.
Make a gift that will help now and far into the future
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Grantmaking Endowment Fund
Gifts to the Community Grantmaking Endowment Fund increase the future distributions to our area organizations.
Create a bequest that will benefit our community
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Charitable Bequest
A Charitable Bequest by will or trust is a simple way to make a lasting gift to your community. Making a bequest does not reduce your current assets. Rather, it stipulates asset distribution after your death. At any time during your life, you may cancel a bequest, change the beneficiary, or modify gift amounts.
Your decision to leave a bequest to your community means that all future earnings from your gift serve as a permanent source of community capital, helping you to do good work forever. See bequest language for how to include the Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation in your estate plan.
Honor a family member
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Memorial Gift to Existing Fund
A memorial fund with the Community Foundation offers a way to turn memorial gifts into a lasting legacy that will make a difference in our community for years to come. We offer options for directing memorial gifts and we also provide all appropriate gift acknowledgements. You can honor or commemorate a special person by:
- Starting your own fund that can be named for your loved one honoring his or her charitable interest.
- Contributing memorials in your loved one’s name to an existing fund at the Community Foundation.
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Create a Fund
A gift or a group of gifts that total $10,000 or more can be established as an endowment fund which will assure funds for your charitable interests in perpetuity. Our Donor and Grants Officer, Rhea Yap can provide more information. Rhea is at 708-848-1560 or by e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Involve family members in how much to give and to whom
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Donor Advised Fund
Donor Advised Funds are the most commonly known type of Fund within the field of philanthropy. You make recommendations to the Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation's Board of Directors for distributions from the fund to support the charitable, cultural or educational programs that are of interest to you and that meet the policies established by the Board of Directors.
Make a flexible gift
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Donor Advised Fund
Donor Advised Funds are the most commonly known type of Fund within the field of philanthropy. You make recommendations to the Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation's Board of Directors for distributions from the fund to support the charitable, cultural or educational programs that are of interest to you and that meet the policies established by the Board of Directors.
Support a specific cause
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(Named or Designated) Endowment Funds
A gift or a group of gifts that total $10,000 or more can be established as an endowment fund you may name for a loved one or to honor the memory of someone special to you. Such a fund will assure funds for your charitable interests in perpetuity.
These funds can be created through an estate plan and funded upon the death of the Donor. Specific charities or programs at specific charities are named within the fund agreement to receive annual distributions.
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Field of Interest Funds
Field of Interest Funds provide distributions for specified causes. The organizations that further the cause may change over time, but the Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation’s staff and Board of Directors will ensure that dollars entrusted to the Community Foundation will always be used for the designated purpose. Select from existing field of interest funds, or establish fund designating a particular area of interest as broadly or as narrowly as desired.
Make sure that the impact of my giving outlives me
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(Named or Designated) Endowment Funds
A gift or a group of gifts that total $10,000 or more can be established as an endowment fund you may name for a loved one or to honor the memory of someone special to you. Such a fund will assure funds for your charitable interests in perpetuity.
These funds can be created through an estate plan and funded upon the death of the Donor. Specific charities or programs at specific charities are named within the fund agreement to receive annual distributions.
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Grantmaking Endowment Fund
Gifts to the Community Grantmaking Endowment Fund increase the future distributions to our area organizations.
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Impact Excellence
Gifts to the Impact Excellence Endowment Fund ensure programs and services will continue into the future for the area social impact, or non-profit, organizations.
Know that my gift will last forever
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(Named or Designated) Endowment Funds
A gift or a group of gifts that total $10,000 or more can be established as an endowment fund you may name for a loved one or to honor the memory of someone special to you. Such a fund will assure funds for your charitable interests in perpetuity.
These funds can be created through an estate plan and funded upon the death of the Donor. Specific charities or programs at specific charities are named within the fund agreement to receive annual distributions.
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Grantmaking Endowment Fund
Gifts to the Community Grantmaking Endowment Fund increase the future distributions to our area organizations.
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Impact Excellence
Gifts to the Impact Excellence Endowment Fund ensure programs and services will continue into the future for the area social impact, or non-profit, organizations.
Support my alma mater and…
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Donor Advised Fund
Donor Advised Funds are the most commonly known type of Fund within the field of philanthropy. You make recommendations to the Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation's Board of Directors for distributions from the fund to support the charitable, cultural or educational programs that are of interest to you and that meet the policies established by the Board of Directors.
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(Named or Designated) Endowment Funds
A gift or a group of gifts that total $10,000 or more can be established as an endowment fund you may name for a loved one or to honor the memory of someone special to you. Such a fund will assure funds for your charitable interests in perpetuity.
These funds can be created through an estate plan and funded upon the death of the Donor. Specific charities or programs at specific charities are named within the fund agreement to receive annual distributions.
Help students with their education
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Scholarship Foundation
Scholarships help pay for education. The Scholarship Foundation with the Oak Park & River Forest High School provides a variety of scholarships for high school graduates. You can contribute directly to that Fund, or if you want to provide a scholarship for a different school, you can create a new scholarship fund. You can specify the schools the young people come from or ones they are to attend. Scholarships can be for any level of education you, the donor, specifies. Research our Scholarship Funds page.
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Enrichment Funds
Enrichment Funds provide grants for young people to attend programs, such as summer camps and travel abroad, to enrich and transform their lives. They differ from academic scholarships in that the activities for which grants are made are those typically not part of an academic curriculum. View the Educational Enrichment Grants we offer.
Provide enriching opportunities for students
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Enrichment Funds
Enrichment Funds provide grants for young people to attend programs, such as summer camps and travel abroad, to enrich and transform their lives. They differ from academic scholarships in that the activities for which grants are made are those typically not part of an academic curriculum. View the Educational Enrichment Grants we offer.
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OPRFHS Scholarship Foundation
The Oak Park and River Forest High School Scholarship Foundation Fund provides a number of scholarships and awards to graduating seniors at Oak Park and River Forest High School. Criteria depend upon the individual scholarship awarded. Visit The Scholarship Foundation web page for more information.
Combine my gift with others for greatest impact
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Join a Giving Group
Are you an entrepreneur? You may be interested in Entrepreneur Leaders in Philanthropy
Are you a next generation professional? You may want to join up with NextGen Leaders in Philanthropy
Women have a giving group that has been active for more than 20 years. Consider joining Women Leaders in Philanthropy as they review community needs and make strategic grants
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Grantmaking Endowment Fund
Gifts to the Community Grantmaking Endowment Fund increase the future distributions to our area organizations.
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Fund for Now
Gifts to the Fund For Now are in the current year for the on-going operations of the Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation.
Provide for my family and my favorite charities
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Charitable Bequest
A Charitable Bequest by will or trust is a simple way to make a lasting gift to your community. Making a bequest does not reduce your current assets. Rather, it stipulates asset distribution after your death. At any time during your life, you may cancel a bequest, change the beneficiary, or modify gift amounts.
Your decision to leave a bequest to your community means that all future earnings from your gift serve as a permanent source of community capital, helping you to do good work forever. See bequest language for how to include the Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation in your estate plan.
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Retirement Plan Assets
Do you know what is the most cost efficient gift to leave to charity? Qualified retirement plans. Why? Because the asset is considered taxable to the recipient – and charities are tax-exempt! This means when you designate the Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation as the beneficiary of a portion or full qualified retirement plan, 100% of the distribution will be available for use by the Community Foundation and the purposes you designate, compared to only a portion of the remainder available when a natural person is the designated beneficiary due to income taxes that must be paid upon receipt of the distribution. You can provide a significant legacy for your community and your favorite causes.
Contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Donor and Grants Officer at the Community Foundation, 708-848-1560, with questions. Reach out to your qualified retirement plan administrator to update your beneficiary designation form. Designate the Community Foundation as, “Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation, Oak Park, Illinois, EIN.” If you wish to add to an existing fund or create a named fund, please go to our funds page for more information, and call the Community Foundation for assistance.
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Life Insurance Beneficiary Designations
Life insurance can be an excellent vehicle to leverage a small cash contribution for a significant legacy for the Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation and causes you choose. Whether you gift a policy outright or designate the Community Foundation as a beneficiary, you will provide a substantial gift for a minimum amount of investment.
Life Insurance policy donations provide a substantial benefit to you as the donor as well as the Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation. There are two primary ways to gift life insurance: 1) outright gift of a policy; or 2) partial remainder through a beneficiary designation.
Through an outright gift of a policy, either a paid-up policy that is no longer needed, or naming the Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation as the owner and beneficiary of a current policy, can provide an immediate charitable deduction for the donor. Properly gifting a current policy allows the donor to deduct the equivalent of the annual premium payment when given to the Community Foundation.
The easiest way to gift life insurance is through a beneficiary designation for a portion of the proceeds. Will your family be negatively impacted by receiving 10-20% less of your life insurance proceeds? Likely not. Such a designation, however, can provide a significant legacy gift for your community and causes of your choosing.
Contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Donor and Grants Officer at the Community Foundation, 708-848-1560, with questions. Reach out to your qualified retirement plan administrator to update your beneficiary designation form. Designate the Community Foundation as, “Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation, Oak Park, Illinois, EIN.” If you wish to add to an existing fund or create a named fund, please go to our funds page for more information, and call the Community Foundation for assistance.
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Charitable Remainder Trusts (CRTs) and Charitable Lead Trusts (CLTs)
Many donors like the idea of providing for both themselves or family AND the Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation and designated causes. Through certain types of trusts, it is possible to achieve this dual desire.
Charitable Remainder Trusts (CRTs) are created by a donation of cash, appreciated securities, or other appreciated property into a specifically drafted trust. The Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation, or another, is named as trustee. Certain individuals – donor/spouse/family member – are named to receive annual distributions. Upon a specified triggering event, such as the end of a term of years, or death of the payment recipient(s), the remainder of the trust will be distributed to the Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation for stated purposes or causes.
Charitable Lead Trusts (CLTs) are considered the reverse of CRTs. The Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation receives distributions for a term of years and the donor or family members receive the remainder of the trust upon its termination.
Both vehicles are complex donation vehicles that require discussion and planning with your attorney, accountant, wealth advisor, and the Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation. Call Rhea Yap, Donor and Grants Officer at the Community Foundation, 708-848-1560, to discuss.
Give anonymously
Contributions through Community Foundations are the only way to truly give anonymously through any of our funds. Talk with Rhea Yap at 708-848-1560 to discuss your philanthropic interests, suitable funds to fulfill your intent and current community needs.
Receive advice, upon my request on which nonprofits are most effective
Contact Director of Fund and Donor Development, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to discuss. Her number is 708-848-1560.
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