About Us; Community Fund Management Foundation

Throughout Ohio, families of children with disabilities and limited financial resources have found it difficult, if not impossible, to find a mechanism for leaving money for their child through their estate plan in a way that does not jeopardize the child's government benefits. Likewise, individuals with a disability who receive money through an inheritance, personal injury settlement, back-payments from Social Security, and even lottery winnings were limited in their options if they wanted to preserve means-tested government benefits.

Established in 1993, Community Fund Management Foundation (CFMF) is a nonprofit, tax-exempt (501(c)(3)) organization created to establish and administer trust programs for Ohio residents with disabilities (as defined by Social Security Administration criteria). A trust account can be established by families and friends of an individual with a disability, or an individual with a disability if he or she has the capacity to do so. Once established, the trust account allows an individual with a disability to use the funds in the trust account in a manner that can enhance the Beneficiary's quality of life without jeopardizing his or her government benefits.

Community Fund Management Foundation joined together with Fifth Third Bank, Northeastern Ohio, to create the Master Trust, the Pooled Medicaid Payback Trust, and the Roll-in Pooled Medicaid Payback Trust. Community Fund Management Foundation acts as the Trust Advisor and the bank acts as the Trustee.

Mission Statement

The mission of Community Fund Management Foundation is to develop and make available trust vehicles, education, and related services that enable individuals with disabilities to use private funds to enhance their quality of life without jeopardizing their eligibility for government benefits.

Board of Trustees

Frances Ulrich, EdD
Chairperson
Cuyahoga County

Louis Geneva, Esq
Vice-Chairperson
Cuyahoga County

Philip Kaufmann, Esq
Treasurer
Summit County

Nirakar Thakur, Esq
Secretary
Lucas County

Norman Bresky
Cuyahoga County

Kevin Craine, Esq
Franklin County

Michael Donzella, EdD
Cuyahoga County

Stephen McPeake
Cuyahoga County

Karroll Miller
Hamilton County

Laura Recchio
Stark County

Terrence M. Ryan, PhD
Cuyahoga County

Gary Schaeufele, ACSW, LISW
Summit County

Frederick Valerius, EdD
Butler County

Karen S. Ausprunk, Esq
Executive Director

Janet Lowder, Esq Counsel

View the Community Fund Management Foundation 2003 Annual Report...Go.

What does CFMF do as the Trust Advisor?

As the Trust Advisor, CFMF monitors the distribution of monies from each trust account so that government benefits are not jeopardized. A review committee evaluates all requests for distributions from an individual's trust to make sure that a distribution will not jeopardize government benefits that are applied for or currently being received.

What does Fifth Third Bank, Northeastern Ohio do as the Trustee?

As the Trustee, Fifth Third Bank, Northeastern Ohio, invests the assets of the trusts, receives deposits to existing trusts, and makes distributions from existing trusts.

What can money distributed from the trust account be used for?

Distributions from a trust are made to pay for supplemental services. As defined in the Ohio Administrative Code, supplemental services are those items or services that will not be paid for by a government agency, but can enhance the quality of an individual with a disability. These are items or services that do not duplicate government benefits, but rather supplement them.

A trust account can be established for an individual with a disability who is not currently receiving means-tested government benefits (benefits with asset and/or income eligibility limits such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Medicaid). Distributions from trust accounts for individuals who are not receiving these benefits are not restricted to supplemental services.

What trust accounts are available through CFMF?

Master Trust

Parents, families, and friends can establish a trust account for the supplemental services of a resident of Ohio with a disability. A Master Trust can be opened with $15,000 and there is no maximum amount for the trust account. A parent, family member, or friend can fund a Master Trust while they are alive or they may fund it or add to it upon their death.

The Pooled Medicaid Payback Trust

An individual with a disability (if he or she has the capacity), parent, grandparent, guardian, or court can deposit the individual's own money into a trust account. Money from the trust account can then be used for supplemental services for the individual with a disability. The minimum to open a Pooled Medicaid Payback Trust is $5,000 and there is no maximum dollar amount for the trust account.

The Roll-in Pooled Medicaid Payback Trust

Individuals with a disability can save their money and safeguard their eligibility for government benefits. Starting with just $750, a person with a disability can establish this trust account using his or her money and can make deposits to the trust account as frequently as every month. Roll-in Pooled Medicaid Payback Trusts can also be established by a parent, grandparent, guardian, or court.

When the trust reaches $5,000, requests for distributions to purchase supplemental services may be made. This trust account is very helpful to individuals who work at sheltered workshops or in the community.

How long has CFMF been a Trust Advisor and how did it get started?

In January of 1996, CFMF opened its first trust account. To date, CFMF is the Trust Advisor for approximately 400 trust accounts throughout Ohio with a combined market value of 9 million dollars.

The Cuyahoga County Board of Mental Retardation (MR) and Developmental Disabilities (DD) and the Federation for Community Planning provided start-up financial support for CFMF. The Ohio Department of MR/DD and the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council have provided additional financial support.

What other organizations is CFMF associated with?

Community Fund Management Foundation supports and serves individuals with disabilities and often works with other organizations helping individuals of the same community. Currently, CFMF has purchase of service agreements with a number of county boards of MR/DD throughout Ohio. Community Fund Management Foundation has also established partnerships with other nonprofit organizations serving individuals with disabilities.

Community Fund Management Foundation is well respected throughout the legal community. To date, probate courts in 15 counties have been involved in the creation of trusts with CFMF. Trusts have been created in more than 44 of Ohio's 88 counties.

Board of Trustees and Administration

The Board of Trustees of Community Fund Management Foundation is composed of talented, dedicated individuals from throughout Ohio who are familiar with the legal issues and government benefits and services for individuals with disabilities. The Board of Trustees and members of committees serve CFMF as unpaid volunteers.

Karen S. Ausprunk, Esq, is the Executive Director of Community Fund Management Foundation. Janet Lowder, a principal in the law firm of Hickman & Lowder Co., L.P.A. in Cleveland, Ohio, serves as counsel.