Creating a charitable legacy can often seem like a formidable undertaking. Isn’t it true that only the super wealthy are able to make an impact? 

Not at all. Thanks to the Greater Milwaukee Foundation’s Acorn Fund program, people of modest means and all ages have the opportunity to make a big difference a little at a time. With Acorn Funds, you make regular monthly contributions of as little as $100 until the fund grows to grantmaking size. Gifts are tax deductible and reinvesting the income earned can speed the growth of the fund. 

Jon Barsanti, a retired CPA and former senior tax partner with Ernst & Young, created the idea in 1990. Over the past two decades, donors at community foundations worldwide have adopted this concept as a way to build their funds and their philanthropy. The concept has allowed any donor to start small, with the full expectation that over time, they can make a big difference. 

updated July 2021