A Donor Advised Fund is an extremely simple, inexpensive, and effective way for you to support your favorite charitable causes in a tax-efficient manner.
When you create a Donor Advised Fund at the Community Foundation, you join hundreds of caring individuals, families, and businesses who have chosen a simple, flexible, and effective way to support charitable causes in southeast Michigan and around the country.
A Community Foundation Donor Advised Fund allows for:
- Choice– choose to create a permanently endowed or nonendowed fund
- Recognition- or anonymity, you choose
- Flexibility- make grant recommendations to any qualified public charity through the United States
- Support- consult our experienced and knowledgeable Foundation staff when considering grant recommendations
- Secure Access- check your fund balance or make grant recommendations online
- Timing- schedule gifts into the fund when most advantageous to you or your business
- Tax benefit- take an immediate charitable tax deduction for gifts to the fund and no capital gains taxes on gifts of appreciated, long-term assets
- Simplicity- alleviate administrative burdens, record keeping, or expenses of a private foundation
- Capability- involve family members in your philanthropic giving
A donor advised fund can be established with a minimum gift of $10,000. The Community Foundation accepts gifts of cash, publicly traded securities, real estate, closely held business interests, intellectual property as well as other assets. For assistance with your gift, contact the Philanthropic Services department.
Your Choice: Endowed or Nonendowed
An endowed donor advised fund creates a permanent legacy of your generosity that grows over time. A portion of the fund is available to make grant recommendations each year with the balance permanently invested with the Community Foundation. The fund benefits from professional investment management overseen by the Community Foundation or custom investment arrangements for funds of $1million or more.
A nonendowed donor advised fund allows for grant recommendations that may result in the distribution of some or all of the fund balance. There are choices of investment strategies that can meet short- or long-term charitable objectives.
Business advised funds can be endowed or nonendowed. This is a great alternative to creating a corporate charitable foundation to demonstrate your company’s commitment to the community.
We are here for you
If you would like help in identifying charities to support, our experienced and knowledgeable Foundation staff can help you make the best grant recommendations based on your charitable interests. We will always make sure your grants go to a qualified public charity.