DAF Direct Widget
What is a donor-advised fund?
A donor-advised fund (DAF) is a type of giving program that allows you to combine the most favorable
tax benefits with the flexibility to easily support your favorite charities. An increasingly popular
charitable vehicle, DAFs are an excellent way to both simplify your charitable giving and facilitate your
strategic philanthropic goals.
How does it work?
1) Establish your DAF by making an irrevocable, tax-deductible donation to a public charity that
sponsors a DAF program
2) Advise the investment allocation of the donated assets (any investment growth is tax-free)
3) Recommend grants to qualified public charities of your choice
What are the main advantages of a donor-advised fund?
Simplicity - The DAF sponsor handles all record-keeping, disbursements, and tax receipts.
Flexibility - Timing of your tax deduction can be separate from your charitable decision making.
Tax-efficiency - Contributions are tax-deductible and any investment growth in the DAF is tax-free. It is
also easy to donate long term appreciated securities, eliminating capital gains taxes and allowing you to
support multiple charities from one block of stock.
Family legacy - A DAF is a powerful way to build or continue a tradition of family philanthropy.
No start-up costs - There is no cost to establish a donor-advised fund. However, there are often
minimum initial charitable contributions to establish the DAF (typically $5,000 or more).**
No transaction fees - Once approved, 100% of your recommended grant goes to your qualified public
charity of choice.**
Privacy if desired - Donors may choose to remain anonymous to the grant recipient.
** Sponsoring organizations generally assess an administrative fee on the assets in a DAF. These fees
vary by sponsoring organization.
How it works (Detail):
1) An individual or entity makes an irrevocable contribution to a sponsoring charitable organization to
establish a donor-advised fund. This person becomes a donor-advisor.
2) The sponsoring organization allocates the charitable contribution to the particular donor advisor's
DAF. The donor-advisor has the opportunity to name the DAF (e.g. The John Doe Fund).
3) The donor-advisor retains advisory privileges over the investment allocation for the DAF. Since the
assets in the DAF belong to the sponsoring organization, any investment growth is tax-free. The
investment options available vary by sponsoring organization.
4) The donor-advisor has advisory privileges over the disbursements made from the DAF. The
disbursements are recommended by the donor-advisor but must meet the grant-making criteria of
the sponsoring organization. Typically, disbursements may only be recommended to IRS-qualified
public charities exclusively for charitable purposes. Additionally, the donor may not receive any
more than incidental benefits as a result of the disbursement.
5) Once the sponsoring organization approves the recommended disbursement, the grant is made to
the qualified charitable organization.