Q: Why should I encourage clients to establish a fund at the Knox County Foundation?
A: The Knox County Foundation can be a valuable resource for professional advisors and a philanthropic partner for your clients. Our variety of charitable giving options can help individuals and families achieve specific financial, personal, and business goals, and often provide meaningful tax benefits. Additionally, the Knox County Foundation has a 80-year reputation of integrity, customer service, and impressive investment returns.
Most significantly, our current Foundation Forward Program offers qualifying new funds and donations significant matching dollars, allowing your clients to immediately increase their charitable assets and maximize their philanthropic goals.
Whether your clients are looking to turn tangible assets into charitable endeavors, interested in an IRA Charitable Distribution or setting up a Charitable Gift Annuity, or would like support for charitable estate planning, the Knox County Foundation can help them maximize their charitable and financial goals.
Q: What kinds of funds are available through the Knox County Foundation?
A: The Knox County Foundation offers a variety of fund options to help your clients meet their charitable goals and can tailor fund agreements in ways that best serve their unique philanthropic interests and financial needs. Several of the most common vehicles available include donor advised funds, community impact funds (providing unrestricted resources to meet urgent and emerging needs), field of interest funds, designated funds, and scholarship funds. To learn more about the variety of fund option available, click here.
Q: What is my role, as a financial advisor, in the process?
A: You know your client best and can help them understand how partnering with the Knox County Foundation can enhance their charitable and financial strategies. The Knox County Foundation is welcoming of new financial advisor partners for significant qualifying new funds and would be happy to speak to you about our investment strategies and opportunities for financial advisors to partner with us.
Q: How much money does my client need to establish a fund?
A: Most endowed funds can be established with an initial $10,000 investment. Additionally, many new funds will qualify for the Knox County Foundation’s Foundation Forward Program, provided by Ariel Corporation, which provides significant matching dollars to further your clients’ charitable goals.
Q: What are the fees to maintain the fund?
A: The Knox County Foundation charges a flat, all-inclusive fee for overseeing investments and providing services to fund holders. For all funds except Scholarship Funds, this fee is 1%. For more detailed information, please see our Spending Policy.
Q: Who is eligible to be an investment advisor for the Foundation?
A: For detailed information about how The Knox County Foundation appoints investment managers, please refer to our Investment Policy.