Our Work
The BCF works directly with donors to understand their philanthropic vision and create a fund to support causes most important to them. Funds from different donors are then aggregated and managed to achieve greater returns. This makes it possible for smaller individual funds to enjoy the same economies of scale as a large foundation. Put simply, we:
- Work to understand your vision and provide expert advice
- Create a fund that reflects your vision and sets forth your charitable wishes
- Manage your fund’s assets and make gifts to your favourite causes
- Promote giving from others to increase philanthropic dollars for Bermuda to leverage your investment.
Once the fund is set up, the donor is encouraged to make gifts to that fund. These gifts may be made during your lifetime or as part of a longer-term legacy plan. We understand that the kind of giving you want to do depends on your life stage. All money deposited to the fund is invested by BCF, and each year, investment income is distributed to the local community as directed by you, the donor, if you wish.
We manage the donor funds over time, vet the nonprofits if you wish, write the cheques, and handle the reporting. We may also research nonprofits and programmes, and prepare a grant-spending plan for your fund.
Our grant-making staff checks proposed grants against your fund’s purpose and any other guidelines you’ve given us. After we make each grant, we carefully monitor the results. With some fund types, you can also invite others from the community to invest in your field of interest, which may change to keep up with the times.
The whole community can benefit from knowing where donations are going and how they have been spent.