> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.endaoment.org/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Community Funds > Powering a new era of collective philanthropy and donor-advised funds. Contributing to a [Community Fund](/governance/documentation/community-fund-agreement) grants the identical tax-advantageous stature and benefits of a [DAF](/donors/about/about-donor-advised-funds), with a few distinct variances: * **Community Funds are open to the public** - they welcome contributions from anyone. * Unlike an individual steering their Donor-Advised Fund, **grant recipients for Community Funds are recommended collectively** by a community **or** determined in advance. Some funds have their grant recipients curated by fund managers focusing on a particular cause, while others rely on their community members to propose potential grant recipients. ## Community Fund Management & Compliance **Endaoment directly manages all Community Funds** to ensure IRS compliance and donor intent protection: ### Pre-Defined Recipients Required Community funds **must** pre-identify grant recipients at fund creation: * **Issue Area Funds**: Specific cause areas (e.g., "dog-related charities," "climate action") * **Specific Organization Funds**: Named nonprofits designated when donations are made * **Mixed Approach**: Combination of specific organizations and defined cause areas ### Grant Alignment Requirement * **Grants must align** with the fund's stated purpose when donations were received * **Fund advisors cannot** redirect grants to organizations outside the fund's scope * **IRS compliance**: Prevents prohibited scenarios where donations for one cause are granted elsewhere * **Donor protection**: Ensures contributions support the intended charitable purpose Please be sure to read through the description of the community fund you are donating to so you are aware of exactly how and where your donation will be granted. ## Starting a Community Fund In order to start a community fund, you'll fill out a [typeform application](https://endaoment.typeform.com/communities) and get in touch with us. After review for compliance with the above policies, we can adjust your fund so that it's visible to anyone with the URL, and searchable externally (*after sufficient time has elapsed for it to be indexed and added to our sitemap*). If you have any questions about community funds, please feel free to [reach out](mailto:admin+communityfund@endaoment.org).