FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is the Olive Tree Foundation?

Olive Tree Foundation is a non-profit, charitable public foundation that aims to strengthen our community by:

• Pooling the charitable gifts of many donors to create permanent, income-earning endowment funds that benefit our community.
• Making grants from the earnings of these funds to support a wide range of initiatives.
• Providing leadership by bringing people together from all sectors to identify and address local issues.

What attracts donors to foundations?

Flexibility is one of the primary reasons that foundations are so popular among donors. Donors can choose to support their community in a broad way or they can designate a favourite area of interest. They can create a fund in someone’s memory or they can make an anonymous donation. Donors also know that the endowment funds held by foundations are permanent. That means their gift will keep on giving to local charities long after the donation has been made.

How do you insure the safety of the permanent endowments?

The Board of Directors establishes our investment strategy through consultation with an appointed finance committee made up of qualified professionals. Funds are pooled to take advantage of scale and are managed by professional Institutional Portfolio Management firm(s) with proven long-term records.

What type of investments does Olive Tree Foundation intend to have?

The Olive Tree Foundation is in its developing stages and will be working with a group of professionals who will be appointed to be part of the Investment Committee. This team will assess the needs and criteria of the fund and will provide their recommendation on that basis. The fundamental criteria of all investments will be based on Islamic principles.

Will the Olive Tree Foundation invest in private businesses?

No. The Olive Tree Foundation does not intend to invest in individual businesses, as this does not meet the objectives of the Foundation and will have a higher risk factor.

What type of contributions will be accepted for endowment?

- Cash Contributions
- Securities
- Real Estate
- Bequests

What portion of the investment income will be used towards administrative costs?

None of the investment income will be used for any administrative purposes. All portions of the investment income will be used towards community services in the form of grants.

If no portion of the investment income will be used for administrative cost then how will the organization fund its operations?

Olive Tree Foundation will have separate fundraising events and campaigns to cover its internal operations cost.