What is a Donor Advised Fund?

A donor advised fund is a charitable giving vehicle sponsored by a public charity. You can create a donor fund with a contribution to that charity and receive immediate and maximum tax benefits. You can also recommend grants over time to any IRS-qualified public charity.

Donor advised funds offer simple, tax-wise, and meaningful ways to manage your philanthropy. You can:

• Contribute a wide variety of asset types
• Enjoy the best available tax benefits
• Recommend investments
• Recommend who’ll receive grants, as well as when and in what amounts
• Recommend who’ll succeed you as fund advisor today and over successive generations

Not all donor advised funds are alike

Donor advised funds are offered through many public charities. 

Commercial programs: Fidelity Charitable, Schwab Charitable, Vanguard Charitable, and charitable entities of for-profit financial institutions.

Community foundations: There are about 750 community foundations with a regional focus. We are big fans of community foundations because they know and understand the needs of the local community.

Religious charities: Examples include the National Christian Foundation and the Jewish Federation.

Focused charities: Examples include Rotary International and university-sponsored programs.

The independent charity: Learn about true independence at iGiftFund