Our professional staff can help you invest wisely in causes you care about or find charitable giving solutions to meet your clients' needs.
We provide free technical assistance to nonprofit organizations around planned gift transactions. We can also help you develop your own planned giving program.
Located within the Community Foundation, the Planned Giving Center receives major support from the Borina Foundation and is a recognized resource, with expertise and success in charitable giving in Santa Cruz County.
The Planned Giving Center was launched in 1998 through the vision and leadership of honorary trustee and local estate-planning attorney Rick Polse, with initial funding from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation.
If you would like a private consultation or for more information e-mail Randy Balogh, philanthropic services director, or call him at 831.662.2060.
Wills Guide Presentation
Learn how you can avoid an accidental disinheritance. View our Wills Guide Videos. Click here to learn more.
Personal Planner
Trusts for Creative Spenders Trusts can be quite useful for protecting children. However, for some children, the trust serves an additional function: It protects the principal from being rapidly spent by a child. These trusts have a specific name – they are called "spendthrift" trusts. More ...
Read About the Benefits of Gift Planning
There are several types of plans.
Many of these have wonderful benefits for the gift donors, including increased income and generous tax savings.
You might start by reading some of the stories of those who have benefited. Just click on the picture and you can view each story.
A Bequest to Save Taxes Thomas Merrick was a widower who had a great love for our organization. As an individual who had directly benefited from our work, Thomas wanted to thank us with a gift from his estate. More on A Bequest to Save Taxes >>.
Generous IRA Gift Jerry is a fireman who volunteers for a number of charities in his community. Recently, Community Foundation Santa Cruz County shared an opportunity to join in a new program with a positive impact. Jerry was excited to help, but a lead gift of $10,000 was needed to start the program. More on Generous IRA Gift >>.
Bequests Joe and Anna have been faithful supporters of the Community Foundation Santa Cruz County and its mission. More on Bequests >>.
Easy IRA Gift Barbara retired after forty years as a teacher. She had volunteered for many years with her favorite charity. Since Barbara did not need all of her IRA income, she decided to make a gift of $2,000 from her IRA to reflect her support. More on Easy IRA Gift >>.
Steps to Wise Giving
There are several steps to help you make wise and prudent gifts. These pages are here to help you learn how gift planning ideas can be of personal benefit. Let us suggest a few steps that would help you in that process.
We also have a complete tax update service for CPAs, attorneys, CLUs, CFPs, ChFCs, trust officers and other professional friends. The GiftLaw services are made available to all advisors as a free service. We also are always available to assist in helping you provide clients with clear and understandable gift illustrations. If you would like assistance with a gift illustration, please contact randy@cfscc.org.
If you are a professional advisor, you may take the following steps on this site.
Trusts can be quite useful for protecting children. However, for some children, the trust serves an additional function: It protects the principal from being rapidly spent by a child. These trusts have a specific name – they are called "spendthrift" trusts. 
