Do You Have a Donor-Advised Fund?

Many individuals like being able to make a single donation when the timing is right and deciding later which charities to support. A major reason for establishing a donor-advised fund is to consolidate your charitable giving because donor-advised funds (DAFs) give you a flexible, tax-wise, and effective tool for supporting nonprofit organizations by recommending grants whenever and as often as you like.

Possibly, our organization is already on the list of charities that regularly receive grants from your donor-advised fund. If so, we are grateful for your commitment to us. If not, we hope you will consider adding us to your grantee list and even making a grant today.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the minimum size grant that can be made from my donor-advised fund to you? From our standpoint, there is no minimum. However, the institution that administers your donor-advised fund may require that all grants be of a minimum size—$100, for example.
• How often can grants be made to us from your donor-advised fund? That depends on whether the host institution imposes any limitations on frequency. As far as we are concerned, the grants can be made as often as you wish.
• When I request that a grant be made from my donor-advised fund, can I specify the purpose for which the grant is to be used? Yes, unless it is for a purpose that requires a minimum amount to be established.
• If I have made a pledge to your organization, can I authorize a grant from my donor-advised fund to fulfill that pledge? No, a grant from a donor-advised fund cannot relieve the donor, or other party, of a financial obligation.
• If I were to make a gift directly to your organization, I would be recognized as a donor of the gift amount. If a grant of the same amount is made from my donor-advised fund, do I receive the same recognition? Yes, the donor recognition would be the same.
• Do I receive an income-tax charitable deduction when a grant is made from my donor-advised fund to your organization? No, the gift was made and a deduction allowed at the time you irrevocably transferred an asset to the charitable organization that hosts your donor-advised fund. The grant to our organization is an allocation of existing charitable dollars not an additional gift.

Please notify our office if you have arranged for a grant to be made to us from your donor-advised fund so we can know when to expect its arrival. Please also contact us if you are considering such a grant but have questions.