Donor Advised Funds

A donor advised fund, or DAF, is an organized way for donors to make charitable gifts. A DAF is often established at tax-exempt organizations such as community foundations that manage charitable giving on your behalf. It allows donors to recommend grants to charitable organizations, receive an immediate tax benefit, and then distribute gifts from the fund to a qualified charity such as NAMI.

A simple way to think about a DAF is like a charitable savings account where the donor can contribute to the fund and recommend grants to nonprofit organizations. Fidelity Charitable, Charles Schwab Charitable, and Vanguard Charitable are common organizations that manage and administer DAFs.

As the advisor to your fund, you can recommend a grant be made to NAMI. We are a US-based, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Our EIN is 43-1201653.

How Does a DAF Work?

  • You make an irrevocable contribution of cash or other assets (you may choose to be recognized or remain anonymous)
  • You immediately receive the maximum tax deduction that the IRS allows at the time of the contributions (this can be a tax-efficient strategy to charitable giving)
  • Your contribution is placed into an account where it can be invested and grow tax-free

For questions about making a DAF gift to NAMI, email or call 703-516-7970