The Wharton County Community Foundation

Who We Are

The Wharton County Community Foundation – you may know a great deal about it, or very little. You may find the concept of a community foundation a bit puzzling.

In its simplest terms, it is a philanthropic pool, where the funds you give to the foundation are placed with others so that even modest charitable contributions enjoy all the professional administration of larger funds, while maintaining their individual identity.

The Foundation was organized in 2003 to help the citizen and companies of Wharton County by supporting their favorite charities through endowment funds. Your gift to the Wharton County Community Foundation has great flexibility. You may name your fund, you may make your gift unrestricted, or choose a field of interest. You may even select specific organizations to be recipients of your fund. How you set up your fund has a plethora of options as well. You can choose to start your fund with cash, securities, mutual funds, land, insurance or a host of other creative ways.

It is incorporated under the laws of the State of Texas and is designated a 501(c)(3) organization by the Internal Revenue Service. It is not a private foundation and is not subject to the excise tax levy and the various restrictions placed on private foundations by federal statutes. Contributions to all types of funds in the Wharton County Community Foundation qualify for maximum deductibility for income tax purpose.

Bridging the generations through your charitable gifts is an important part of the Wharton County Community Foundation. We hope to stimulate your thoughts and we hope that you will feel free to discuss your charitable planning or your client’s charitable planning with us.

 

Your Funds

Bank trust departments or investment firms will handle the Fund you establish, as well as all donations. If you are an establishing a substantial fund, we can work with you to use an investment advisor or firm of your choice.

The direction of the Wharton County Community Foundation is provided by a Board of Directors composed of prominent citizens from each area of Wharton County. They serve without compensation and operate the Foundation as a facility to insure safe management and wise use, in perpetuity or otherwise, of all types of gifts. The Foundation is an independent entity and is free from partisan, sectarian or commercial control. Its goal is to encourage all citizens of Wharton County to work at building an endowment, which will result in the betterment of the people.

Honoring Your Values

Times change, and a community foundation can change with them. You can be assured that, decades from now, the spirit and intent of your charitable wishes will be honored, regardless of the shifts and changes among charitable organizations. We administer charitable funds. You can create an individual charitable fund with us at any time and, through it, use any of the ideas found on our website.

Flexible Donor options

A fund you establish with us becomes a component part of this organization and enjoys not only the most advantageous tax treatment, but also the greatest permanence of any we know. Your gift to the Wharton County Community Foundation has great flexibility as well. You may name your fund, you may make your gift unrestricted, or choose a field of interest. You may even select specific organizations to be recipients of your fund.

Contact us

The purpose of the Foundation is to improve the quality of life for the people of Wharton County. To find out more about the Wharton County Community Foundation or to arrange a visit, call the Foundation at 979-541-1118.