Donor-Advised Funds

Create a donor-advised fund

A DONOR-ADVISED FUND, or DAF, is a giving account established at a public charity. When you create (or add to) a Donor-Advised Fund, you receive an immediate tax deduction. Once your DAF is established, you recommend grants from the fund over time.  Donors can contribute to the fund as frequently as they like, and then recommend grants to their favorite qualified charitable organizations whenever it makes sense for them.

View the current DAF fee schedule here.

Complete DAF Terms & Conditions can be found here.

 

DAF Day 2025Kirkland Community Foundation is proud to be a part of DAF Day 2025 on October 9, a national day of generosity and a celebration and promotion of donor-advised funds (DAFs) as powerful tools for giving. DAF Day encourages donors to explore the benefits of DAFs, open DAF accounts with local foundations like ours, and activate their generosity via their DAF to amplify their giving and impact. Join us and thousands nationwide in celebrating generosity this October 9th. Learn more at DAFDay.com.

Inquire here about opening a new DAF
Contact us to discuss opening a fund
The United States has more than 1.7 million DAF accounts as of 2023.
Source: National Philanthropic Trust

How donor-advised funds work

Donors contribute

The donor makes an irrevocable contribution to the donor-advised fund (DAF) and can take an immediate tax deduction.

Assets may grow

The charitable assets in the DAF may be invested, and any investment growth is part of the DAF and available for grants.

Charities benefit

The donor recommends grants from the DAF assets to support qualified charities.

To establish your donor-advised fund, you make an irrevocable contribution of personal assets—which could include cash, stock, real estate and more. Your contribution is recorded as a donation to KCF, and the balance will be reflected in your donor-advised fund account. Contributions to your DAF can come in a variety of methods.

When you contribute to your donor-advised fund, you may be eligible to claim an itemized tax deduction for federal and/or state income tax purposes. Because KCF and other donor-advised fund sponsors are public charities, your donation is considered a tax-deductible charitable contribution. This arrangement allows you to plan your gift so that you can take the tax deduction when it makes sense for you and to recommend grants to your favorite charitable organizations at any point in the future.

As you establish your donor-advised fund account, you can structure it in a way that best meets your charitable goals. You can name your donor-advised fund (DAF) anything you would like and design a legacy plan to determine what will be done with your DAF assets beyond your lifetime, which may include appointing successors or charitable beneficiaries.

The assets in your DAF are invested and grow tax-free, giving you the potential to create even more philanthropic capital for grantmaking.

As soon as your donor-advised fund is established and funded, you can recommend grants to the charitable organizations closest to your heart. KCF can approve grants to most organizations that are tax-exempt under Internal Revenue Code (Code) Section 501(c)(3) and classified as public charities under Code Section 509(a), as well as certain private operating foundations. Our team performs due diligence on every grant recommendation to ensure that your grant money will be used for charitable purposes. You can make single or recurring grants, either with recognition or with total anonymity.

Benefits of a donor-advised fund

DAFs have become popular in part because of their versatility, allowing donors to give when, what, how, and where is most favorable for them. There are many reasons why donors choose a donor-advised fund as a philanthropic giving vehicle. Charitable giving with a donor-advised fund can be a tax-efficient way to build a charitable legacy.

Here are the benefits of a donor-advised fund:

  • Maximize tax benefits

  • Contribute immediately, build a philanthropic strategy and donate when you’re ready

  • Grow your contributions over time, making more charitable dollars available to grant to nonprofits

  • Guarantee philanthropic dollars reach the causes you care about with an irrevocable contribution

  • Simplify organization and administration

  • Create a charitable legacy

  • Choose how you are acknowledged

  • Develop a philanthropic vision and philosophy

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