Donor Advised Fund (DAF)
A donor advised fund (or DAF) might be a great solution for you. You can use a DAF to distribute gifts to numerous charities. With a DAF, you can make gifts to charity during your lifetime, and when you pass away, your children can carry on your legacy of giving.
A DAF is a flexible, tax-efficient charitable giving account. You can contribute cash, stock, or other assets, receive an immediate tax deduction, and recommend grants to nonprofits over time. Contributions are invested and can grow, amplifying your impact.
Why choose a DAF at Seattle Foundation?
A Seattle Foundation DAF stands out from other available options. As a community foundation, we combine national reach with deep local expertise and a mission-driven commitment to the Seattle region.
With our premium services, you benefit from:
- Personalized philanthropic advising by experienced local staff
- Impact reporting to track your giving and outcomes
- Family engagement support to help couples and families give together
- Connection to a donor community dedicated to giving well and doing good
- Qualify for Washington state capital gains tax deduction (not available through commercial DAF products)
- And unlike commercial DAF providers, your fees stay here in Seattle, supporting local nonprofits and initiatives.
What can a DAF do for my philanthropy?
Donating to a DAF, rather than setting up a private foundation or giving directly from your checkbook, offers a strategic and streamlined approach to philanthropy. It allows you to address your financial, tax, estate, and charitable planning goals all at once.
DAFs also simplify the giving process by outsourcing all administrative, legal, accounting, and compliance tasks. This allows you to focus on what matters most: your philanthropy.
A Seattle Foundation DAF lets you give with ease, clarity, and confidence.
Services
Seattle Foundation?s approach to philanthropy centers on helping you discern your goals - and the right tools to achieve them. Our Donor Advised Funds (DAFs) include built-in premium services designed to support your philanthropic journey.
Fees
Administrative fees are tiered and blended depending on total assets managed. These provide for the services embedded with all DAFs, as well as supporting Seattle Foundation?s local impact work. The minimum annual fee for a DAF is whichever is greater based on average daily balance in the fund: the percentage of AUM, or $2,500.
Philanthropy In Action:
Donors Like You
"In many ways, we have had blessed lives but always want to remember our humble roots. When we were thinking about a name for our fund at Seattle Foundation, we wanted to honor our Italian Heritage and decided to name our foundation DonoSaggio, which means 'wise giving' or 'wise gift'. Since our estate will fun the DonoSaggio Foundation, Seattle Foundation provides the perfect structure for us to set up and administer our foundaton both during and after our lives."
~Michael Vitiello and Mary Baroni
Donor Advised Fundholders
& Changemakers (Legacy Donors)
How do I get started?
Opening a DAF with Seattle Foundation is a 1-2-3 process:
- Contact us to get our new fund form. This is the paperwork we require to launch the fund opening process (it typically takes about 30 minutes to complete, and a Gift Planning Advisor is available to help you fill it out).
- Once paperwork is received by Seattle Foundation, reviewed and approved, you will sign the new fund form via DocuSign (as sent to you electronically by your assigned Gift Planning Advisor).
- Transfer the asset you would like to use to open your fund (read more about which assets we accept here, or contact us for more information).