Donor Advised, Community Advised and Designated Grants Program
Through this funding program PDF provides its more than 30 years of experience in grantmaking to donors who are interested in funding specific interests. PDF carries out the research, ensures the reporting, and manages the government’s requirements while the donor, with PDF staff advice, recommends groups for funding. PDF has a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator and Forbes Magazine highlighted PDF in its article, “How to Find the Right Donor Advised Fund (and Why).”
PDF’s donor advised funds program offers:
- Low annual minimum to establish
- Advice on funding progressive organizations
- Competitive fee structure (1.25% on new money to the fund and no transaction fees)
- Commitment to getting the funds out the door to the organizations that need it most
- Anonymity for donors
To learn how to set up your own donor advised fund click here.
Examples of PDF’s donor advised funds are:
Mary N. Lloyd Memorial Fund
Established in 1993, the Mary Norris Lloyd Memorial Fund was named to honor the donor’s mother. Mary Norris Lloyd was born in South Carolina and lived in the South until she entered Antioch College in the late 1920s. Turning to Quakerism after World War II, she was a peace and civil rights activist, as well as a writer and poet.
Working closely with PDF staff, the donor has the flexibility to make grants to domestic and foreign grassroots and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that many other foundations, including some private and family foundations, often lack. The Mary Norris Lloyd Memorial Fund shares a vision with the Peace Development Fund that effective grassroots organizations enhance democracy and are catalysts for social change.
Wellspring Fund
Established in 1990, the Wellspring Fund has been an important contributor to progressive work in PDF’s own backyard of Western Massachusetts. The Wellspring Fund supports organizations based in the Western Massachusetts areas that are working on a variety of progressive issues, including but not limited to, public health, electoral organizing, faith based organizing, education, environmental work, art and culture, and peace and justice organizing.
Donor Designated Fund
This program allows PDF’s donors who do not wish to establish a Donor Advised Fund the ability to carry out personalized grantmaking to a small number of organizations. Along with a gift to PDF’s Annual Fund, the donor will give additional funds and recommendations for funding to specific groups. Some donors provide groups with designated grants for several years, while other provide a one-time grant.
To learn how to make a donor designated grant click here.
Community Advised Funds
Similar to a donor advised fund, this program brings multiple donors, grassroots organizers and funders together for grantmaking and community building, strengthening relationships across sectors of the social justice movement.
The Pioneer Valley Community Advised Fund supports grassroots efforts of communities working towards social justice in the Franklin, Hampden and Hampshire counties in Massachusetts. In the spirit of elevating and advancing a movement moment, groups that seek to work in collaboration with other local groups are urged to apply. Application information and timeline for that fund will be announced soon.
The Gerber Finance Foundation is a Community Advised Fund facilitated through PDF. Gerber Finance Foundation is committed to moving communities forward. “Gerber Gives Back,” their employee-driven volunteer program, enables their team to dedicate time to volunteer and make a difference. By leveraging their expertise and resources, they provide relief from food insecurity for hundreds of kids in their surrounding communities.
Discretionary, Special and In-Kind Grants
On occasion, PDF may also have special grantmaking funds or discretionary grant funds available that fall outside our other grantmaking programs. These funds allow PDF and its donors to meet funding needs to specific communities or to respond to specific emergencies. In addition to these funds, the staff of PDF have established their own fund, made up of their personal contributions, from which to give small grants.
