Giving through a Donor Advised Fund
A Donor Advised Fund, often referred to as a DAF, can be thought of as a charitable savings account to assist donors in directing gifts to charitable organizations. This vehicle for giving offers donors the flexibility to choose the recipient organization and determine the timing of gifts from their account to best suit their financial and philanthropic goals.
Why give through a DAF?
Whether you are new to giving, or are a seasoned philanthropist, Donor Advised Funds are an accessible option for donors giving at a variety of levels. Certain funds do not require a minimum investment and have a lower required gift amount per transaction, such as $50 per grant.
There may be advantageous tax deductions for cash or non-cash assets invested in a Donor Advised Fund, allowing donors to bunch or bundle their philanthropic giving before dispersing the gifts to organizations they support. When you make a gift to a charitable organization, such as Fort Collins Habitat for Humanity, your gift is typically eligible as a tax- deductible gift at that time. When you make a gift to a third-party DAF, your gift is still eligible as a tax-deductible gift at the time of transfer to the charitable account. However, there are additional options, including tax-free investing to help your charitable account grow. DAFs also offer flexible timing for you as the donor to best determine which organizations you would like to support and when you would like the gift to be directed to the qualified 501c3 public charity.
When you, as the donor, are ready to advise where the gift should be sent, selecting the recipient organization can often be done in an easy-to-use portal, removing the need to make multiple transactions to various organizations. You can also select the frequency you would like gifts to be sent, on a one-time or recurring basis. When giving through a DAF, the fund’s institution will provide your year-end charitable summary indicating gifts made to the DAF account rather than each individual recipient organization.
Which DAF is right for you?
Local foundations serving as tax-exempt foundations offer donors a variety of options based upon how involved the donor wishes to be when selecting a charitable organization. This can range from creating a named fund which allow donors to select the organizations their gifts should be directed to on an ongoing or one-time basis (like Habitat!), setting up an endowed fund, or giving to funds restricted by areas of interest such as a scholarship. There are also well-known financial institutions who serve as the tax-deductible recipient for the DAF and invest or hold your funds until you advise the institution which charitable organization the gift should be directed to. There may be fees associated with these funds that vary by institution based upon the fund’s balance or investment options.
To direct a gift to Fort Collins Habitat for Humanity from your Donor Advised Fund, please enter or refer to the following information. Or use the DAF button below to sign-in directly to your existing DAF and direct a gift to Fort Collins Habitat!
Organization Name: Fort Collins Habitat for Humanity
Tax ID #: 84-1217901
Address: 4001 S Taft Hill Rd, Fort Collins CO, 80526
Gifts from a DAF, often referred to as grants, will be distributed from the name of the giving fund you create, often named a family fund. We do want to thank you and share updates on how your gift is benefiting Fort Collins Habitat for Humanity, so we hope that you will opt to provide your contact information at the time of directing your gift.
Once your gift has been submitted, we kindly ask that you let us know it is on the way and if there are any special designations on your gift. For example: if it should be directed to a Faith or Women Build home. We also request that you include this information when directing your gift through the foundation or institution.
Fort Collins Habitat for Humanity does not offer tax or investment advice. Please consult your financial advisor or directly contact foundations and institutions offering Donor Advised Funds to best assess the fit for your financial and philanthropic goals. If you have any questions, please contact Mara Johnson, Chief Development Officer, at 970-488-2603. Thank you!