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Charitable Giving Tools

Choose your path to giving, with a person beside you

At Pinellas Community Foundation, every gift has the potential to transform lives. Whether you are giving for the first time or have been with us for years, your generosity addresses local challenges, supports nonprofits, and creates opportunities for future generations. Start with what you want to accomplish; we will match it to the right giving option.

Which option fits you

Start with your goal, not the fund list

PCF offers nine giving options, each designed for a different philanthropic goal. Pick the sentence that sounds most like you and we will show the option built for it. Every path also works with a phone call.

Your match

Donor-Advised Fund

Gain flexibility in your giving while maintaining control. Recommend grants to your favorite nonprofits, manage your fund online, and enjoy tax benefits with this highly customizable fund.

Your match

Field of Interest Fund

Direct your giving to a specific cause, such as education, health, or the environment. You make an impact in a broad area while targeting the issues that matter most to you.

Your match

Designated Fund

Support one or more nonprofit organizations you care about. Your gift provides continuous funding to the designated charities, helping them thrive for years to come.

Your match

Planned Legacy Fund

A Planned Legacy Fund lets your charitable vision live on through your will or trust. It is flexible, simple to update, and built for long-term community impact.

Your match

Endowment Fund

An Endowment Fund preserves the principal of your gift while generating ongoing support for the causes or organizations you care about most: a permanent charitable legacy.

Your match

Simplified Private Foundation Fund

The control of a private foundation with less complexity. Direct grants with flexible giving options and expert management, while benefiting from lower administrative costs.

Your match

Scholarship Fund

Help local students achieve their educational dreams. Your gift can make a significant difference in the life of a young person pursuing higher education.

Your match

Charitable Remainder Trust

An irrevocable trust that lets you transfer appreciated assets, receive income for life or a set term, and direct the remaining value to one or more charitable organizations.

Your match

Reserve Fund

A dedicated financial cushion that helps a nonprofit weather unexpected challenges, bridge funding gaps, or respond to crisis without compromising programs. A donor can fund it to invest in an organization’s long-term stability.

Your match

Move your DAF to PCF

If you already have a fund elsewhere, we make the transfer seamless and straightforward. Tell us your philanthropic goals and we will set up or transfer your fund to support your vision.

Meg Lokey, Vice President of Philanthropy
Not sure, or somewhere in between?

Meg Lokey, Director of Philanthropy, will talk it through with you. No fund is chosen until it fits.

All fund options

Nine ways to give through PCF

Whether you want to support a specific cause or leave a legacy for future generations, there is a fund that fits your vision. Each one comes with personalized service, expert advice, and full transparency on how it is used.

Flexible giving

Donor-Advised Fund

Recommend grants to your favorite nonprofits, keep control of timing, and enjoy tax benefits with this highly customizable fund.

Permanent support

Endowment Fund

Preserves the principal of your gift while generating ongoing support. Set up by donors who want a permanent legacy, or by nonprofits building stable long-term funding.

Will or trust

Planned Legacy Fund

Lets your charitable vision live on through your will or trust. Flexible, simple to update, and built for long-term community impact.

A cause you care about

Field of Interest Fund

Direct your giving to a specific area, such as education, health, or the environment, and let PCF find the strongest local work in it.

Foundation-style control

Simplified Private Foundation Fund

The control of a private foundation with less complexity: flexible giving options, expert management, and lower administrative costs.

Specific nonprofits

Designated Fund

Support one or more nonprofit organizations you care about with continuous funding that helps them thrive for years to come.

Nonprofit stability

Reserve Fund

A financial cushion that lets a nonprofit weather unexpected challenges or bridge funding gaps. Established by the nonprofit or funded by a donor.

Local students

Scholarship Fund

Help local students achieve their educational dreams and make a significant difference for a young person pursuing higher education.

Income for life

Charitable Remainder Trust

Transfer appreciated assets into an irrevocable trust, receive income for life or a set term, and direct the remainder to charity.

Why give through PCF

A donation becomes a partnership

When you give through PCF, you join a network of like-minded philanthropists committed to positive change in Pinellas County. Your gift gets maximum impact, and you benefit from:

Expert guidance on how to make your gift work for you and your community
Tax advantages for your charitable contributions
Transparency on how your funds are used and the results of your giving
A range of options that align with your values and passions

Why choose PCF over other private foundation options?

Fees from donor-advised funds at PCF are reinvested into local programs, staff support, and grantmaking, so your contributions benefit the community rather than stakeholders, as is often the case with private foundations and commercial gift funds.

PCF assumes all administrative and reporting requirements and you avoid extensive legal costs and paperwork. A community foundation fund can be created in a day, versus the several months it takes to set up a private or family foundation.

*Consult your tax advisor for your individual tax implications.

Donors talking and smiling at an outdoor Pinellas Community Foundation event.
Donor-advised funds at PCF

A flexible, tax-efficient way to manage your giving

A Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) grows tax-free and gives you the freedom to recommend grants to your favorite nonprofits at any time. PCF handles the administration so you make a bigger impact with less effort.

Maximize impact

Contributions grow tax-free, allowing you to give more over time.

Tax benefits

Receive immediate deductions and optimize your tax strategy with bundled contributions.

Flexibility and convenience

Manage your fund 24/7 online and make grants to IRS-qualified charities whenever you choose.

A PCF donor-advised fund starts with as little as $5,000.

Already have a DAF somewhere else?

We can make the transfer process seamless and straightforward. Contact us to discuss your philanthropic goals, and we will work with you to set up or transfer your fund to support your vision.

Assets we accept

Give more than cash

PCF’s experience with complex assets sets us apart. You can establish or add to a charitable fund with any of the following.

We suggest consulting your financial or legal advisor to determine the best asset for your situation. Please reach out to PCF before making your gift, so we can be prepared to assist you when you open or contribute to your fund.

Cash and cash equivalents
Stocks and other securities
Closely held, restricted or pre-IPO stock
Privately held business interests
Cryptocurrencies
Real estate
Transfer of a private foundation
Tangible personal property
Royalties and distribution rights
Life insurance
Retirement assets
Two more ways in

Give alongside others, or explore where to give

Five people outside a community building, each holding a framed drawing.

PCF Membership

Membership is a commitment to lasting change in our community. Members join a group of philanthropists dedicated to improving quality of life in Pinellas County, with exclusive benefits, special events, and connections to like-minded people who are passionate about giving back.

Girls Rock St. Pete

The Giving Hub

Your resource for learning about local nonprofits and the many causes you can support in Pinellas County. Whether you want to back a specific cause, join a community project, or find a nonprofit to partner with, the Giving Hub has the tools to make informed decisions.

Donor Bill of Rights, policies and fees

Know the terms before you sign

Pinellas Community Foundation does not request sensitive information like account or Social Security numbers in online forms. We collect personal and demographic details, which are safely transmitted online. If you prefer to complete these forms in person or over the phone, we are happy to schedule a meeting with our staff.

Philanthropy is based on voluntary action for the common good. To assure that philanthropy merits the respect and trust of the public, and that donors can have full confidence in the nonprofits and causes they are asked to support, we declare that all donors have certain rights.

Ready to learn more?

Partner with PCF to make a lasting impact

Whether you want to support causes you care about, leave a legacy, or grow your giving over time, our team is here to guide you every step of the way.

Meg Lokey, Vice President of Philanthropy
Meg Lokey
Director of Philanthropy

Already a fund holder at PCF? Access your fund portal.

Contact us today

Tell us a little about what you want to accomplish and we will follow up.