Welcome to the

How a Giving Fund supports thoughtful generosity

by NCF

Whether you’re just beginning to think about your giving goals or you’ve been giving with intention for decades, a Giving Fund (a donor-advised fund at NCF) can help you align your resources with your purpose.

When Tom and Mary Vande Guchte committed to giving their entire income to charity in 2020, they didn’t know what the year would bring. Their office furniture business faced an uncertain future as the pandemic began shutting down workplaces across the country. But the business ended up having its best year ever, and the couple used their Giving Fund to inspire others to give alongside them through a matching grant to a clean water project in Rwanda.

Today, the Vande Guchtes use their Giving Fund to make nearly all their large gifts as matching grants and inspire greater generosity in others.

For Richard and Elina Leong, giving with intention means bringing their family together around a shared purpose. With their two adult daughters, they developed a family mission statement inspired by Luke 3:11, which calls believers to share what they have with those in need. They named their NCF Giving Fund the Two Tunics Legacy Fund.

Their fund has become a focal point for family conversations about generosity, allowing them to make decisions and give together.

The Vande Guchtes and Leongs have different approaches to giving, but both families have taken time to consider what they want their generosity to accomplish. And both have found that a Giving Fund helps them put those intentions into practice.

Consider these five ways a Giving Fund can help you do the same.

1. Invest your charitable dollars with your giving goals in mind

When you contribute to your Giving Fund, your charitable dollars are invested, creating the potential for growth while you consider where and when to give.

NCF offers a range of investment options designed for different goals and time horizons, from low risk for near-term granting to higher-risk/higher-return investments to potentially grow your fund balance over time for long-term grantmaking.

NCF also offers an Alternative Investments Pool if you’d like to go beyond traditional investing and pursue long-term growth and diversification to strengthen future grantmaking. Or, through our giver-recommended alternatives, you can pursue more impact by recommending a specific investment opportunity not accessible through our other investment pools.

You may also have the option of a Separately Managed Account – allowing a qualified independent investment advisor you recommend to manage assets in your Giving Fund.

2. Choose when to give anonymously

Sometimes, you may want to build a personal relationship with a charity, know about the impact of your giving, and encourage others to get involved. Other times, you may prefer to remain anonymous and keep the focus entirely on the work you’re supporting.

With a Giving Fund, you can give anonymously, allowing the charity to receive the gift without identifying you as the giver. It’s a great way to give when you want to keep the focus off yourself and on the projects and causes you care about most.

3. Explore 58 causes and thousands of approved charities

You may already know the churches and ministries you want to support. But what if God is inviting you to consider a new area of need? Your Giving Fund gives you access to thousands of charity profile pages organized by 58 causes – like church, foster care and adoption, clean water, or humanitarian aid and development.

Browse charities, discover organizations working in areas that interest you, and learn more about their missions, so you can give when you’re ready.

4. Plan your generous legacy

Your Giving Fund can be a powerful tool for generosity even after your lifetime. By creating a succession plan, you can share how you’d like NCF to distribute your remaining fund balance, so the charities and causes you care about can continue benefiting from your generosity.

You can also name your children, grandchildren, or others as successors to carry on your legacy of giving. And you can consider naming NCF as a beneficiary in your will, trust, or other estate documents to extend your generosity to future generations.

5. Make consistent giving part of your plan

Some giving opportunities call for an immediate response. Others benefit from steady, dependable support over time. Your Giving Fund allows you to plan for both.

Instead of scheduling a reminder for yourself every time you want to give to your Giving Fund, you can set up regular, automatic withdrawals from your bank account or credit card to your fund, helping you set aside charitable resources consistently. You can also create recurring schedules, so grants to your favorite charities are sent monthly, quarterly, or annually … even when you’re out of town or unable to log in.

For organizations that depend on regular support, this consistency can be especially meaningful. And for you, it means the commitments you’ve made can continue without requiring a new decision or transaction every time.

Give with intention

Giving with intention means taking time to consider what matters most, then making decisions that reflect those priorities. For some, that may mean investing in long-term opportunities. For others, it may involve consistent support for a beloved ministry, giving anonymously, or inviting the next generation into a family legacy.

Your generosity will look different from someone else’s because God has entrusted you with a unique combination of resources, passions, and experiences. And a Giving Fund can help you pursue God’s unique story for your generosity with greater intention.

Learn more about how a Giving Fund can support your giving.