Since its inception, The Disability Foundation has distributed almost $12 million dollars to individuals with disabilities through pooled trusts improving the quality of life for hundreds of people with disabilities. Things like travel, participation in the Special Olympics, a tropical fish tank, college tuition, entertainment, wheelchair ramps, home repairs and so much more are possible for individuals with disabilities who receive government assistance. No matter how someone chooses to use their pooled trust, each trust helps someone with a disability to improve or enhance his or her quality of life in ways that are often not otherwise possible for individuals relying on public benefits.
Our Pooled Disability Trusts are effective tools for maintaining lump sums, through estate gifts, social security prorated payments, injury awards, etc. and still maintain eligibility for public benefits. Administering Pooled Trusts is not one of a myriad of services offered here at the Disability Foundation. Pooled Trusts is what we do. We provide the best services today, but our goal tomorrow will be to be even better.
Setting up a Trust is Simple
Whether you are an individual with a disability, a family member, guardian or an advocate exploring the establishment of a trust, The Disability Foundation will guide and direct you each step of the way. Our experienced staff enjoys helping families and individuals make choices about their financial future. It is important to realize that once trusts are established, they are irrevocable. Therefore, it is crucial that you fully understand each one, and our team of professionals is here to help you each step of the way.
When choosing a Pooled Trust Administrator, there are some important questions that one should ask:
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How will the assets be stewarded now and into the future?
At the Disability Foundation, we meet our stewardship obligations with layers of checks and balances in place:
a) Accounting: A spending account spreadsheet is maintained for every individual trust recipient. It shows all debits and credits, to each account, that occur through our office. In addition, we receive a monthly statement from KeyBank to show all investment activity, i.e. assessed fees, interest and distributions made from each individual account. Quarterly account statements, for each individual, are mailed to that trust recipient’s personal representative to show all quarterly activity in the account (from KeyBank).
b) Investment of Pooled Funds: KeyBank is the investment manager for the pool of trust funds. KeyBank must adhere to, and sign off to, the Investment Policy of The Dayton Foundation. In addition, the performance of our investment managers is reviewed quarterly by an independent auditor, the Fund Evaluation Group, out of Cincinnati.
c) Fiduciary Trustee: KeyBank is the Trustee for all the accounts. KeyBank is responsible for filing the K-1’s for each individual account and filing a tax return, on the pool as a whole, each year.
d) Auditing/Tax filing – as a supporting organization of The Dayton Foundation, The Disability Foundation is audited each year, by a local accounting firm, as one of the 3,000 plus funds managed by the foundation. In addition to the audit, as a 501c3, we are required to file a 990 on both The Disability Foundation and the Ohio Community Pooled Annuity Trust. The Trustee, KeyBank is responsible for all tax filings on the pool of funds for the Flexible-Spending Trust and The Disability Foundation for filing the Annuity and organization 990’s.
e) Longevity – the Disability Foundation is under the auspices of The Dayton Foundation, which was established in 1921. We have been around for 90+ years and we will be here for many decades to come.
How will the trust administrator ensure the trust requests are eligible for distribution?
a) Disability Foundation, Inc. as Distribution Trustee: The Disability Foundation is charged with ensuring that all distribution requests are reviewed and approved/denied based upon Ohio Admin. Code §5123:2-18-01 (Attached), which restricts the use of trust distributions to ‘Supplemental Needs’.
b) All distribution requests are reviewed by the Executive Director and given final approval by the Disability Foundation Board of Trustees. Distribution requests must meet the definition of a Supplemental Need item or service, such as those defined by Ohio Admin. Code §5123:2-18-01.
c) Proper record keeping of Supplemental Need purchases. Any funds released from the trust must have accounting provided for the services/goods purchased.
How will you ensure the continuation of public benefits?
1)Communications – with Social Security and Job and Family Services. It is the responsibility of The Disability Foundation to communicate details, with authorization of the trust recipient, or his/her legal guardian, any financial information applicable to the continued eligibility for Medicaid and/or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits.
2)Annual Review – Disability Foundation provides a Trust Explanation packet for all annual reviews, where requested, to Social Security and The Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services.
What services do you provide?
- Information sessions – individual or group
- Trust preparation
- Accounting
- Communications with Public Benefit Agencies
- Legal
- Clerical – ensure timely reporting of balances, requests, communications, etc.
How is the Disability Foundation different from other Pooled Trust Administrators?
- We are the only organization to offer a Pooled Charitable Gift Annuity option.
- We are the least expensive, and most cost effective, administrator in Ohio.
- We are a Supporting Organization of a Community Foundation, which means our greater goal is to enrich and enhance our region and state.
- We work with clients of any age
- We can setup your trust in 1-2 business days
