"We encourage philanthropy
in Laguna Beach."

While the LBCF can operate as many types of funds as there are donors, most of the funds fall within the following categories.

Please select a category for more information:

Bequest Through Your Will or Living Trust
Support the Laguna Beach community while retaining complete control over your assets during your lifetime by making a bequest to the Laguna Beach Community Foundation (LBCF) through your will or living trust.

Bequests can be a specific dollar amount, a percentage of your estate or what remains after other bequests, such as those to family members, are satisfied. You can also arrange for your heirs to receive lifetime income from your estate, with the remainder going to the LBCF for charitable purposes.

The savings in estate taxes resulting from a gift to the foundation can be significant, since bequests to LBCF earn a full charitable deduction on estate taxes.

You may create a LBCF Priorities Fund that allows you to support LBCF's identified charities which include Arts and Culture, Environment, Education, Health and Social Services, Community Improvement and Development, Animal Welfare, and Youth Development, or choose specific charitable organizations to benefit your bequest to LBCF. You may also create an Endowed Fund.

Retirement Plan Assets
You may choose to name LBCF as a percentage beneficiary of your retirement plan asset. Many wish to leave their retirement plan to their children, however, you may not realize that your retirement plan may be subject to both estate and income taxes, once it is passed on to your heirs. Your retirement plan could be taxed as much as 70% to 80%.

Donor Advised Funds allow you to contribute assets to your fund at any time and recommend grants to support qualified nonprofit organizations of your choice so long as they meet minimum due diligence standards. Donor advised funds are the most efficient, cost-effective alternative to establishing a private or family foundation because you can get more tax benefits and not be mired by administrative hassles associated with a private foundation.

LBCF Unrestricted Endowment Fund, or unrestricted fund, allows you to support LBCF's identified highest priority areas including, Arts and Culture, Environment, Education, Health and Social Services, Community Improvement and Development, Animal Welfare, Youth Development. This fund addresses both the current and future needs of the most vulnerable populations in Laguna Beach and is one of the most impactful ways to give.

Field of Interest Fund support organizations that address the issues you care about most. Choose a cause (or causes) close to your heart, and let the foundation take care of the details to make grants from your fund.

Specific Charity Funds are ideal if you want to support one or more specific charitable organization.

Nonprofit Agency Fund is a fund that nonprofit organizations, classified as a public charity, creates with the LBCF to manage and invest their reserve funds or endowment funds that are restricted for their benefit.

Donor Restricted Endowment Fund is a fund that is created that only spends a portion of its value each year in grants to support charitable organization(s). The spending amount is annually determined by the Board of Trustees. The principal of the fund(s) remains with the LBCF.

Life Income Gifts: Gifts to LBCF may be made subject to life income agreements. Such an irrevocable gift may provide for an annual income paid to the donor for the remainder of his and/or her life. Through this type of gift, depending on the individual circumstances, substantial tax benefits may be created. A variety of instruments could be used including a charitable remainder unitrust or a charitable remainder annuity trust. A charitable lead trust can have gift and estate tax advantages. For more information on gift strategies, please call the LBCF.