• Get to know donor-advised funds.

    Meet the most popular and fastest growing charitable giving option in the country.

What is a donor-advised fund (DAF)? We’re glad you asked.

A DAF is a separately identified fund or account created for charitable giving maintained and operated by a public charity. This public charity is known as a sponsoring organization—like AEF!

Why use a DAF?

Let us count the ways.

  • Quickly and easily set up a donor-advised fund with no setup charges.
  • Avoid the complexity and expense of more complicated giving vehicles.
  • Achieve immediate charitable goals and receive available tax benefits.
  • Simplify charitable giving and record keeping.
  • Grow most assets tax free.
    Initiate legacy conversations.
  • Engage the next generation in philanthropic conversations.
  • Fund future giving.

This video can help give you an idea of how the DAF process works.

Donate. Invest. Grant.

It’s all about making a positive impact for donors, advisors, and charities.

Donate

AEF is a 501(c)3 public charity. Donors can receive a tax benefit when they donate to AEF. Plus, DAFs can accept everything from cash and publicly traded securities to more sophisticated illiquid and alternative assets.

Donors receive a charitable gift acknowledgement when they contribute a gift to their AEF donor-advised fund account.

Invest

Think of a DAF as a charitable account where gifted assets are managed by AEF-approved financial advisors recommended by AEF donors. This enables donors to create a significant charitable impact.

Grant

AEF is an unbiased administrator and does not prohibit grants based on geographic, religious, or other categories, meaning donors can recommend grants to the IRS-qualified public charities they believe in most.

In addition, AEF allows successor donor advisors to be named, allowing your charitable legacy to live on generationally.

What steps are needed to get started?

A DAF at AEF works like this.

01 Application and Account Opening

A financial advisor contacts AEF to begin the DAF application. AEF works with the advisor to open the investment account that will house the gifted assets.

02 Investment and Charitable Strategies

Investment strategies are determined for the gifted assets to complement the donors charitable giving strategy and timeline.

03 Make a positive impact

The charitable journey is ready to start.

Ready to open a DAF? Let’s do it!

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