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The DAF Partner Agency Matching Program is designed to infuse the Greater Washington Jewish community with an additional $2 million over two years, by matching $1 million given by the Jewish Community Foundation and The Jewish Federation with $1 million in charitable donations made by community members. Since our first year, the program distributed over $1.7M to local partner agencies.
Explore Year One Results
We now invite you to participate in our second year and help accelerate the impact in our Jewish community and strengthen our network of innovative Jewish organizations.
Make a Gift From an Existing DAF Contact Us To Open a New DAF
Our second year runs from July 1, 2024 -June 30, 2025. We are honored to continue partnering with our donor community to foster a culture of philanthropy. Building on the successes, learnings, and feedback from year one, we are simplifying the requirements to help sustain the high levels of giving and to encourage more Donor Advised Funds.
For existing donors who participated in year one, you can give again at the same level, and we will match last year’s increase to the agency of your choice up to $15,000 per agency. Additional increases are encouraged and will be matched, but not required to receive a match.
For new donors, you can participate by opening a DAF with our minimum fund balance $50,000. We will match gifts of any size when donors open a DAF of $50,000. Increased gifts are encouraged but not required for a match.
For existing DAF holders who didn’t participate in year one, original program requirements apply: we will match any increased gift of $2,500 or more, up to $15,000 per eligible agency. Donors may give to as many agencies as they chose.
Contact Us to Open a New DAF
Please note: if you want to give to an agency that did not receive an increase from you last year, original program requirements apply – we will match any increased gift of $2,500 or more, up to $15,000 per agency
There are two requirements to participate.
The list of eligible agencies can be found below.
Note: All Federation partner agencies serving and located in Greater Washington are eligible for the match, including local Hillels, day schools, and youth groups with local programming. Donations must support local programming efforts. National or international partner agencies are not eligible to receive matching funds at this time.
Maximum match of $15,000 per donor, per agency. Donors may give to as many agencies as they wish.
Agency maximum matching cap of $25,000 to ensure equitable distribution of matching funds across organizations of all sizes and missions.
*Note: Once an agency has reached its $25,000 maximum match amount, the Foundation will not be able to match additional donations to that agency. Please consult our website for status updates on which agencies have met their match cap. Regardless of match status, the Foundation will ensure that all contributions go to their designated beneficiary agency. Please know that your donation is deeply valued, whether or not the Foundation can match it.
We will note when an agency has reached the match cap.
$931,000 new dollars invested in the Jewish community
$465,000 in matching funds doubled impact of donors’ gifts
78% of eligible agencies received a match
$8,900 average grant per agency
81% of agencies surveyed said the campaign helped them reach their fundraising goals
85% of donors surveyed said the program added value to their philanthropy
91% of participating donors plan to add to their funds next year
$9.1 million in total contributions made by all participating donors
$212,000 in combined new assets from six new DAFs
With increased funding from the DAF Matching Program, our partner agencies are building an even brighter Jewish future.
Using the increased donations gained from the DAF matching campaign, George Mason Hillel was able to impact over 200 individuals in Northern Virginia over the summer by focusing on professional development and partnerships with local synagogues. Mason Hillel paired Jewish community members with college students for mentoring and coaching. These relationships have led to internships, exposure to career opportunities, and a strengthening of the young Jewish community across Northern Virginia. Executive Director, Rabbi Daniel Novick’s model of centering relationships to build a more connected and vibrant Jewish community supports retaining the best and brightest in the Northern Virginia area.
For GatherDC, the DAF matching program encouraged Managing Director, Alexandra Tureau Meyer, and CEO, Michelle Shapiro Abraham, to have open conversations with donors about how the timing of donations impacted the organization’s budget and operations leading donors to move their donations earlier in the fiscal year so that GatherDC would be able to approach their upcoming programming and staffing needs, knowing they had the funds already in place.
The DAF Partner Agency Matching Program is designed to infuse the Greater Washington Jewish community with an additional $2 million over two years, by matching $1 million given by the Jewish Community Foundation and The Jewish Federation with $1 million in charitable donations by community members.
Through this investment, we intend to:
For existing DAF holders who didn’t participate in year one, original program requirements apply: we will match any increased gift of $2,500 or more, up to $15,000 per eligible agency. Donors may give to as many agencies as they choose.
For donors who participated in year one, you can give again at the same level and we will match last year’s gift to the agency of your choice up to $15,000 per agency. Additional increases are encouraged and will be included in your match, but are not required. Please note: If you want to give to an agency that did not receive an increase from you last year, original program requirements apply. We will match an increased gift of $2,500 or more up to $15,000 per agency.
For donors new to the Jewish Community Foundation, you can participate by opening a DAF with our minimum fund balance of $50,000. We will match gifts of any size when donors open a DAF of $50,000 or more. Increased gifts are encouraged, but not required for a match.
The second year of our program begins July 1, 2024, with a goal to distribute another $1 million in donor and matched funds. To qualify for the 2024 match, gifts must be made by June 30, 2025. Our goal is to reach $2 million in distributed funds over the two years of the program (2023-2025).
To ensure equitable distribution of matching funds across organizations of all sizes and missions, matching dollars will be capped at $25,000 per agency.
The Foundation will share the names of agencies who have reached their cap on the Foundation’s website. Additionally, partner agencies will be notified when their agency cap is reached so they can communicate the achievement of the cap to their donor community.
The $1M matching fund originated from uncommitted funds out of Federation’s Annual Campaign. Federation decided to use the funds to increase support for local partner agencies and enhance their overall fundraising efforts.
There are no requirements placed on partner agencies for how the money is used. These gifts are intended to be unrestricted in order to help our partners increase their sustainability, plan for the future, and allocate the funds to their greatest need. If donors decide to designate a gift for a specific purpose, these grants will count towards the match.
Donations are processed in our normal grant cycle and go out between 7 to 14 days. Matching grants will be processed quarterly after verification process with the agencies of last year’s gift. Agencies will receive matching dollars within 60 days of the close of the quarter when the grant was made: November 30th, February 30th, May 30th, August 30th.
A Donor Advised Fund is a simple, flexible, and tax-advantaged way to give to your favorite charities. It’s a fund to which you contribute cash, securities, and other assets at the best time for your financial and tax planning for the purpose of supporting the causes you care most about when you choose. Learn more about DAFs.
You can open a DAF with a simple fund agreement and a gift. To get started email Elizabeth Goldstein or call 301-230-7228.
First, open a DAF with the Foundation. Then, to transfer funds, request a grant from your existing DAF to your new DAF. You may transfer all of the assets in your existing DAF or a portion of the funds to the new DAF.
Joining our community of donor advised fundholders benefits you, your family, and the Jewish community in many ways:
Gift From Your DAF OPEN A NEW DAF