Donors

Since 1982, with an initial gift from Ruth Redding, hundreds of donors of gifts and bequests who care deeply about all aspects of island life on Martha’s Vineyard have created an extraordinary force for good at the Martha’s Vineyard Community Foundation.  With over $13 million in current assets under management, 46 individual funds, and a robust $1.4 million General Discretionary Fund for unrestricted use, the Foundation is a mosaic of sophisticated, smart, poignant donor intent that is distributed each year with great care by our Board.

Donors of gifts and bequests who choose to work with Community Foundation will enjoy customized and thoughtful service from our staff, wise counsel from our island-based Board, and increasingly creative and entrepreneurial options from the organization, as a whole.  We look forward to providing our donors and bequest intenders with exciting new ways to express themselves philanthropically, and we are eager to learn from all of our donors as we grow together.

Giving

Community foundations offer an effective way for donors to make charitable gifts with the greatest flexibility.  The Martha’s Vineyard Community Foundation works closely with donors to help them achieve their philanthropic goals while meeting their financial needs.  As a local organization governed by a Board with broad expertise on community issues, the Foundation helps donors gain a better understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing our community, connects them with others concerned about the Island’s well-being and opens avenues for partnering with other philanthropists.

With more than 35 years of philanthropic experience on Martha’s Vineyard, the Community Foundation offers local giving expertise coupled with the many advantages of working with a community foundation.  Giving to – or through – the Foundation is easy.  Contributions in any amount are welcome and gifts can be designated for a particular Island organization or field of interest or can be unrestricted to address the Island’s current needs.  Whether creating a fund or making a contribution to the Foundation’s General Discretionary Fund, donors benefit from the flexibility, administrative support, investment management expertise and program evaluation services we offer.

Some practical reasons for partnering with us:

 

  • The Community Foundation is part of the Vineyard community and focuses solely on Island issues.
  • The members of our Board are rooted in the community.  Their knowledge of the Island and civic engagement informs all grant making decisions and shapes policies to grow and strengthen the Foundation.
  • The Foundation offers a range of giving options designed to match donor goals with grant making opportunities.
  • As a public charity with 501 (c) (3) status, contributions to the Foundation provide donors with tax advantages under state and federal laws.
  • Through the Foundation donors are able to enhance the impact of their gifts through pooled and coordinated giving.
  • The Foundation’s mission is to build permanent assets that will benefit the Island forever.
Martha's Vineyard Community Foundation