Corporations

Charitable giving is good for business.

Corporations have a tremendous capacity to grow their businesses and solve important social issues through innovative and strategic philanthropic initiatives. Companies also have the ability to inspire and engage their own employees by promoting volunteerism and service within their giving programs.

At CAF America, we specialize in creating a seamless transition from aspiration to meaningful action. We understand that effective philanthropy begins with a clear vision and a focused plan for making that vision a reality. Our unparalleled expertise and customized solutions help you bring your philanthropic vision to life.

By working with CAF America, you benefit from our global grantmaking perspective, our industry-leading due diligence, and the leverage of the CAF Alliance which connects you to local issues and the organizations on the ground solving them.

What might work for your company?

Explore your options with our Corporate Advisory Services

In today’s interconnected world, corporate philanthropy has become an integral component of a company’s growth and long-term sustainability. No longer designated solely as a public relations tool, companies that understand the interplay between the corporate, civil society, and government sectors are having more success impacting both communities and business performance.

CAF America understands that impactful corporate responsibility begins with a clear vision and an empathetic understanding of your business. From initial strategy development to on-the-ground implementation, our multi-sector approach and connected global network bring your company’s philanthropic vision to life.

Learn more about our Grants Management Services.

To get started, contact our office.

Set up a Donor Advised Fund

Establishing a Donor Advised Fund is a convenient and simple way for you to support and manage global philanthropic initiatives.

A Fund is designed to support ongoing giving which requires fund management services, including activity statements and online account access. Establishing a Fund also makes it easy to pool gifts from multiple donors to support a common cause.

CAF America also offers donors the option to set up an Invested Donor Advised Fund. With an Invested Fund, you may recommend investment allocations based on your grantmaking time horizon.

Many corporations choose to establish Funds at CAF America because it is much easier and less costly than establishing a corporate foundation. A Fund can be established the same day an establishing contribution is received — compared to the considerable time and expense that can be required to establish a private foundation and obtain tax-exempt status from the IRS.

For more information, download the Donor Advised Funds fact page.

To get started, contact our office.

Set up an Employee Engagement Fund

While it is common for companies to offer matching gift and volunteer grant programs for their U.S. employees, they are often challenged to establish an easy-to-manage and cost effective way to expand such programs for their internationally-based staff.

Designed to support both matching gift and volunteer grant programs, CAF America’s Employee Engagement Fund enables companies to structure initiatives that best reflect the regional cultures and interests of their global employee base. It simultaneously ensures that employees are empowered to invest in philanthropic causes where they live and work, with the confidence of full support from their employer.

By establishing an Employee Engagement Fund at CAF America, corporations can tax effectively support the philanthropic goals of their employees’ matching contributions and/or volunteer time, while also ensuring that all recipient organizations adhere to your company’s program guidelines as well as IRS laws and local country regulations.

For more information, download the Employee Engagement Fund fact page.

To get started, contact our office.

Give a Donor Advised Gift

Single gifts allow a company to advise a smaller number of grants, on a schedule or as desired. This option is another way that enables companies to support a variety of causes. You can recommend that a gift go to a specific foreign charitable organization, cause, country, or region. CAF America can also provide giving guidance in accordance with your corporate guidelines.

For more information, download the Donor Advised Gifts fact page.

To get started, go to our Give Now page or contact our office.

Equivalency Determination (ED) Services

Equivalency Determination (ED) is the method by which we collect detailed information on a foreign charitable organization in order to make a “good faith determination” as to whether or not it is the equivalent of a United States public charity described in sections 501(c)(3) and 509(a) of the Internal Revenue Code (the “Code”). IRS Revenue Procedure 92-94 provides a specific procedure for making this determination, including a list detailing information that must be obtained from the foreign charitable organizations.

CAF America has 25 years of experience and expertise in making grants to foreign charitable organizations utilizing our Expenditure Responsibility (ER) program. In certain situations, however, ED may be a more appropriate method of making a grant to a foreign charitable organization. There is not one right way to make grants to foreign charitable organizations, and CAF America’s expertise is here to help you in determining which of several available tools is most appropriate for your situation.

CAF America is committed to working with you to ensure that your needs are being met and your philanthropic goals are being realized. CAF America offers two options for its ED services:

You may work with one of our trusted team members to explore if ED is the best choice for you or if there’s a better-suited option for your global giving.

For more information, please download the Equivalency Determination Services fact page.

To get started, contact our office.

Equivalency Determination

When giving abroad, it is important to remember that an ED (Equivalency Determination) Certificate is NOT a license to grant internationally and that there are other considerations to take into account.

There are many regulations and best practices in addition to obtaining an ED Certificate or exercising ER that should be followed by private foundations or donor-advised funds making grants to foreign charities such as:

1) Mitigating the risk of money laundering and financing of terrorism, per the requirements of the PATRIOT Act, certain Executive Orders and other federal anti-money laundering rules and regulations;
2) Preventing bribery, per the requirements of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA);
3) Monitoring sanctions programs and licensing requirements set by the Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and ensuring compliance;
4) Knowledge and consideration of in-country laws regarding a local grantee's ability to accept foreign funding or other applicable local laws.

Expanding your philanthropy internationally requires compliance in all of these areas, and a grantee's ability to satisfy the ED or ER requirements does not completely address these other regulatory and risk issues.

Find out more here.

Giving in the Asia-Pacific

Given the evident interest in giving to the Asia-Pacific region, we have announced a new service designed to enhance our current offerings to donors: the CAF America Asia-Pacific Advisory Services (CAAS).

CAF America has consistently demonstrated that giving in this region does not have to be burdensome or difficult. Since 2008 alone, CAF America has made nearly 1,500 grants totaling over $25 million to more than 250 charities in 17 countries throughout the Asia-Pacific region.

Our extensive grantmaking history in the Asia-Pacific region exemplifies a clear capacity to serve our donors with an interest in the region, but as the leader in global giving, we want to offer more.

CAAS has been established to bridge any gap that may exist between donors, investors, and charitable organizations in the Asia-Pacific region. Our team of professional advisors has on-the-ground expertise throughout the region. This service enables donors to more easily fulfill the legal requirements for making a grant to an Asian-Pacific charitable organization while receiving a tax benefit under U.S. law.

Learn More

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