FAQ

An endowment fund is a tool that makes it possible to provide financial support in perpetuity. Assets are invested by OCCF for sustainable growth. Each year, 5% of the fund can be distributed to any charitable organization, ensuring lasting support for the causes that matter most to you.

We are your neighbors, and like you, we’re dedicated to our community. For more than 50 years, our staff has combined giving expertise with high quality service to offer excellent value and flexible giving options so you can focus on making an even greater impact.

Funds are assessed an annual investment fee as well as an administrative fee based on the fund type and value. Learn more about our fee structure at occf.org/fees.

Endowment funds may grant out 5% of the fund balance each year to maintain longevity and growth for future impact. Gift funds are considered spendable and 100% may be granted immediately.

You may recommend grants to qualified nonprofits, religious organizations, government entities and Native American tribes.

Make giving a family affair and include family members as fellow advisors, making contributions and advising grants as a team. Of course they can also be included as successor advisors.

Community foundations accept gifts from a wide range of donors who wish to help their community, while private foundation assets generally originate from a single source such as a family or major corporation. In addition, the charitable purpose of a private foundation is typically defined by a few people, while community foundations serve a broad range of charitable purposes of its many donors to meet various community needs. In addition, the IRS rules governing private foundations differ from those of a community foundation.

We are governed by a 15-member Board of Trustees comprised of knowledgeable, concerned community citizens, businessmen and civic leaders who volunteer their time to oversee our policies, administration, investment activities and grant decisions. They represent a diverse group of people, who have different areas of expertise and community knowledge. Our Trustees are nominated for three-year terms and may serve up to nine consecutive years.

We offer both permanent endowments and nonpermanent, spendable fund options. See Fund Options for more information.

Permanent endowments established to benefit a specific charitable organization will continue to make grants to that organization as long as it exists. If that organization closes, our variance power ensures that grants from the fund will be directed to a similar charitable purpose.

In accepting a contribution to any fund, the Oklahoma City Community Foundation Trustees commit to the donor that the contribution will be protected for the charitable purpose originally intended. Funds received by the Oklahoma City Community Foundation are subject to variance power, described by U.S. Treasury Regulations as the power of the governing board (Oklahoma City Community Foundation Trustees) to modify any donor restrictions as to distributions if they determine them to become unnecessary, incapable of fulfillment or inconsistent with the charitable needs of the community. Through our variance power, we can assure donors that if the charitable purpose of their contribution becomes impractical or impossible, the distributions from their fund will be directed to similar purposes.

Our advised fund options are similar to commercial charitable gift funds in that donors receive an immediate tax deduction for assets donated to the fund and then have the ability to distribute grants from the fund to specific charities or causes.

The added benefit of creating an advised fund at the Oklahoma City Community Foundation is the opportunity to work with our professional staff who offer in-depth knowledge of the issues, opportunities and resources that shape our community. We can help you learn more about local organizations and programs that make a difference in the areas you care about most. Learn more about our giving options.

Yes, as long as the organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in good standing with the IRS and is headquartered in the United States.

No. While we do accept gifts in the form of cash, check, money order, cashier’s check or online, we can also facilitate a variety of noncash assets. Learn more about the types of gifts we accept.

Yes. Because we are a 501(c)(3) public charity, you receive the maximum tax benefits available for your charitable gifts.

Yes. We make it easy for anyone to make a gift to your fund through our online giving service. Some donors suggest to their friends and family that they give to their fund in honor of a special event, such as a birthday or anniversary. All gifts to your fund are tax-deductible for the donor.

Yes. You can decide whether you want to be recognized for your gifts or to remain anonymous. You can feel secure in knowing that your personal information will never be disclosed.

Yes, we work with professional advisors and their clients to find the right charitable giving options. See Advisors for more information.

You can update your personal information in the Fund Portal. Click the profile icon in the upper right-hand corner, then proceed to edit the information. Any changes made in the Fund Portal will be reflected in the Foundation’s internal records.

*If you need to update your primary email, please reach out to your OCCF contact.

**Please consider adding your philanthropic interests into the profile section of the portal. This will allow us to contact you to share potential giving opportunities that match your interests! 

No. If you want to update details for the fund such as the name, investment portfolio or those associated with the fund, please contact the Donor Services team.

You can check the status of the grant in Grant Request tab of the Fund Portal. Additionally, you should receive an email grant confirmation once the grant has been posted and mailed to the grantee.

Grant recommendations are usually processed within 7-10 business days. Occasionally, it is necessary to adjust this timeline due to holidays or other one-time occurances.

All fund advisors will receive an email notification when a grant is posted and mailed. If you do not want this notification, please contact the Donor Services team. In addition, you can always check the status of a grant in your Fund Portal.

The new Fund Portal is compatible with most devices that can access the internet through a web browser. However, there is not a separate app for the system.

*Google Chrome is the most compatible browser to use with the Fund Portal.

Currently, tax receipts are not available in the Fund Portal. The Community Foundation mails you a tax receipt when your gift is processed. Please email the Donor Services team to receive a new copy of a tax receipt.

To make your Fund portal experience as secure as possible, we recommend the following steps:

1. Navigate to the Profile tab, then select Security on the right-hand side. Click the Change Username button and create a username that is not your primary email address.
2. Either login with a pin every time or enable two step verification. To enable two factor authentication, navigate to the upper right-hand corner of the Fund Portal, then select Security. You should see a 2-Step Verification Enable button to turn this functionality on.

The Foundation will process your gift in 7-10 business days. During certain peak periods, such as the end of the calendar year, gift processing may take longer than normal to complete.