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Idaho Community Foundation offers to set up a Mountain Home fund to manage donations for schools
Summary
A philanthropic adviser from the Idaho Community Foundation outlined a proposal to create an organizational fund to accept and manage donations for Mountain Home schools, described governance options, fees (cited ~1% administration plus investment management), and a short setup timeline; trustees asked about conflict-of-interest safeguards and board roles.
Clark Hivven, a philanthropic adviser with the Idaho Community Foundation, briefed trustees on how the foundation could help the district accept donations, create endowments and manage donor-directed funds.
"We do all the dirty work," Hivven said, explaining the foundation handles compliance, reporting and investment management and citing a typical administrative fee of about 1% (with separate investment management costs). He said the foundation manages hundreds of charitable funds across the state, has an endowment exceeding $300 million, and can draft a short prototype agreement for an organizational fund in a matter of weeks.
Hivven described governance options — including naming board positions rather than individuals to avoid frequent paperwork changes — and recommended a mix of community and school representatives on any oversight board. He confirmed the vehicle would be a 501(c)(3) and said the foundation can accept endowed or nonendowed donations and publish fund information on its website for donors.
Trustees asked whether a school-board majority should sit on such a fund’s board; Hivven said many districts prefer nonboard community seats to avoid perceived internal control and conflict. He also cited a transfer-of-wealth study estimating roughly $190 million transferring in the county over the next decade and discussed how a small capture of that could generate ongoing funding for local schools.
Why it matters: The proposal offers a way for residents, businesses and alumni to make tax-advantaged gifts directed to specific programs or to an unrestricted district fund without the school district having to manage the donor-administration tasks.
What’s next: Hivven offered to draft a prototype fund agreement and follow up with district staff; no formal board action to create a fund was recorded during the meeting.
