Frequently Asked Questions
General FAQ | FAQ for Donors | FAQ for Grant Seekers
About Foundations
What is a community foundation?
A community foundation is a philanthropic organization that manages funds to support charitable activity in the community. Individuals, groups or corporations establish endowments or funds to promote quality of life in a specific area. The endowments are pooled and invested and the income returns are used to support charities in communities.
What is the Community Foundation for Kingston & Area (CFKA)?
Think of The Community Foundation for Kingston & Area as a community savings account. It was incorporated in 1995. We are aiming to have a vibrant and creative community by making strategic and effective grants to serve our community as a resource and partner. Over 70 funds have been established at the Foundation from which grants are made, with current assets of over $12 million.
How does the Community Foundation for Kingston & Area (CFKA) work?
Donations are pooled and held in a permanent endowment fund, which is invested. The income earned is used to make grants to charities whose projects fit our mission of "enhancing and strengthening the quality of life in our community." Donations by generous people like yourselves are held in a permanent endowment and the income earned on the endowment is used to make grants to local projects.
How is a fund at CFKA different from a private foundation?
Establishing a fund at a community foundation is more cost-effective and simpler than establishing a private foundation. The Community Foundation for Kingston & Area will manage all of the administrative requirements. You will still have the freedom to stipulate which areas your fund will support and can set one up in your name, or in memory of a loved one.
How is a fund at CFKA different from a commercial foundation?
The Kingston foundation has local professional staff that will provide personalized assistance in community expertise and giving options. The Kingston foundation offers a wider variety of fund options so you can have as little or much involvement as you desire.
How is the Community foundation different from the United Way?
The United Way raises and distributes money yearly through an annual campaign, while a community foundation distributes a portion of its annual investment returns from permanent funds. While the United Way generally focuses its funding on health and human services, our focus broadly includes a full range of community interests including the environment and arts and culture.
How are your funds managed and invested?
The responsibility for the Foundation’s investment portfolio lies with the board of directors with guidance of the Investment committee. The investment committee consists of dedicated professionals who work with investment advisors to recommend policy, establish performance metrics and monitor the performance of the portfolio.
What are your administration fees?
Please contact our executive director Vikram Varma (vikram@cfka.org) for details on administration fees for the various types of funds.
Donors
What are the advantages of giving to an endowment fund?
Impact- One contribution can address a wide range of needs or interests while benefitting any or a number of charities in the Kingston area.
Permanence– The gift of an endowment fund will continue to benefit the Kingston community into the future. The size of the fund created can be increased at any time through additional gifts, including a bequest in your will.
Recognition or Anonymity – You can personalize your fund by naming it as you wish and all grants from a personalized fund will be identified to the recipients. If you choose, you may request anonymity with the assurance that your wishes will be respected.
Local-The Community Foundation for Kingston & Area has the responsibility to be aware of the changing conditions in the Kingston area. The foundation relies on grant research and proven judgement of grant committees.
How is a fund established?
Setting up a fund at the Community Foundation is actually very simple and straightforward. The Community Foundation for Kingston & Area offers many different types of Funds, each designed to offer something different to our donors to suit their philanthropic objectives the way they wish. The process is normally initiated by the donors calling or writing advising of their wish to establish a fund. The information required includes the name of the proposed fund, its purpose, the amount and type of donation and whether it is to be open to other donors or closed. Once we have that information, a fund agreement is tailored to the donor’s interests and needs is prepared.
Is there a minimum donation?
No, we welcome donations of all sizes.
How do I make a donation? What assets can be used to donate to an endowment?
You may make a donation through an outright gift of cash, a gift of life insurance, stocks, bonds, or other assets. It can be during your lifetime or left to the Foundation in a bequest. Donations may be pledged over a period. One of the most cost-effective ways donors can make a gift to the Foundation is through the transferring of bonds, shares, warrants and options listed on a prescribed stock exchange; mutual fund shares/units and segregated fund units; and / or prescribed debt obligations.
How can my family be involved?
You can make a donation of any size, either towards the endowment, or for our operations. You can also get involved as a volunteer on our Board, one of our committees, or with the office. For some of our donor-advised funds, the whole family decides together what grants to award from the fund each year.
Will I get a tax receipt?
In addition to supporting your community, your donation is also tax-deductible. Many of our donors find this route appealing as the funds are invested immediately to begin accruing interest and the donor receives tax savings on his/her next return.
If I have a particular interest in an area (e.g., the Environment), will the foundation allow me to tailor my donations to them?
Yes, the Community Foundation for Kingston & Area will allow you to tailor your donations to your interests. Donor Advised Funds give donors the chance to participate in the grantmaking process. Working closely with the Foundation's staff and Board of Directors, donors may identify and recommend specific charitable organizations they want to see benefit from their fund. Donor Designated Funds allow donors to name one or more charitable organizations to benefit from the income generated by the fund as listed in the Agreement. This allows donors to choose their favourite registered charities and provide a lasting gift. Field of Interest Funds let donors specify a field of interest (Arts, Environment, Health and Social Services, ...) or geographic area to be supported without naming individual charities.
Grants
When is the next call for proposals for the Community Grants, the Mini-Grants Program, or the Stark Fund?
Please send an email to grants@cfka.org and ask to be put on the notification list for the grant programs you are interested in, and we will email you as soon as a new grant round is announced.
Where can I find the Letter of Intent or Application Forms and more information about the Community Grants?
All information about the Community Grants, including the Forms, can be found at: http://www.cfka.org/community-grants
Is my organization eligible to receive a grant?
Awarded by the Foundation's Grant Selection Team, grants serve registered charities in all eight sectors in Kingston.
- Arts & Culture
- Community Development
- Education & Literacy
- Environment
- Health & Social Services
- Heritage Preservation
- Recreation
- Youth
The geographic area covered by the grant making of the CFKA Grant Selection Team is: Loyalist Township, City of Kingston, Township of South Frontenac, Township of Central Frontenac, Township of North Frontenac, and the Township of Frontenac Islands. Environmental projects must lie within the area stated above or within the Cataraqui River Watershed.
Criteria for Grant Recipients:
1. An applicant organization must be a registered charity or be sponsored by a registered charity.
2. The applicant organization must have a local Board of Directors, a local, well-defined accountable
committee, or a local office with strong community involvement.
3. Projects must have a well-defined purpose and take place within one year of receiving the grant.
4. Any outstanding final reports for previous projects must have been received by CFKA.
5. Grants may be given for the start-up of a long-term project if there is a realistic plan for ongoing
evaluation and for long-term viability.
6. All Letters of Intent / Applications involving activities with primary and secondary schools must be accompanied by a Letter of Permission from the relevant School Board(s).
Grants will not be given:
¨ to cover deficits or retire debts
¨ to provide endowment funds
¨ for sectarian, religious, or political purposes
¨ to respond to annual fund drives for sustaining support
Can I apply for a grant if my organization does not have a registered charity number?
The Community Foundation for Kingston & Area provides grants only to registered Canadian charitable organizations and others qualified as described in Section 110 of the Income Tax Act. However, organizations without a charitable number can sometimes partner with a charitable organization as their sponsoring agency for a project. In those cases, the sponsoring agency is held accountable for the grant.
How large are the grants? How much funding should I request?
There is no minimum or maximum as every project is unique. Our largest grant so far has been $30,000, but most grants fall in the $2,000-6,000 range.
How many organizations have you funded?
Since 1995, nearly 400 local organizations have received close to 2 million dollars in grants awarded by one of our grant committees.
Fifteen organizations have created an Agency Fund under the umbrella of the Community Foundation, benefiting from our investment expertise and position within the community.
Can an individual apply for a grant?
No, the Community Foundation can only grant to charitable organizations, not individuals.
How often can my organization apply for a grant
Organizations may submit one or more grant applications to the Foundation in each grant round. Organizations must have submitted all outstanding final reports before new applications can be considered.
Does the Foundation provide operating grants?
Grants will not normally be given to support the operating expenses of established organizations or programs. For detailed grant criteria, please review our Criteria and Guidelines.
My project will be finished before the board is scheduled to make a decision. Is it still eligible for funding?
No, it is not eligible for funding. The funding is for work to be completed during the grant’s tenure.
How does the Review committee decide on which applications to grant?
Successful programs will be characterized by the following traits:
- they build on existing community strengths and assets
- they involve meaningful partnerships
- they respond to real and clearly identified local needs
- they use resources efficiently and effectively
- they strive for a significant and lasting impact
- they benefit a wide audience
- they show innovation, creativity, proactive thinking, and a degree of risk
For details on our granting criteria, please refer to our Criteria and Guidelines document.
