Giving through donor advised funds

A Donor Advised Fund is a public charity through which individuals and groups can make grants to not-for-profit organizations. You can set up a donor-advised fund account at a community foundation, religious organization, or university, or at one of the commercial gift funds like those operated by Fidelity, Charles Schwab, and Vanguard.

A donor advised fund requires an agreement between the donor and Fund, a minimum deposit, and will likely charge a fee for management and/or processing. 

The fund sponsor can process a contribution (or “grant”) to a recipient organization without disclosing the donor’s name and indicating that the grant is made at the suggestion of an anonymous donor. The charitable organization can issue a tax receipt acknowledging the fund’s contribution on behalf of an undisclosed fund advisor.

Jefferson Community Foundation offers a local donor-advised fund; a copy of their Universal Fund Agreement is included with this communication.