Donor Advised Funds

A Donor Advised Fund (DAF) is a charitable fund you establish and name at the Jewish Community Foundation. You, or anyone you designate, can recommend grants from the liquid assets in your fund to your favorite charitable organizations in or outside the Jewish community.

You contribute assets of any kind (cash, securities, closely-held stock, insurance, real estate, among others) into the fund. You recommend grants to the charitable organizations of your choice in and outside the Jewish community when you desire. We process the grants, and maintain the online records, which you can view through the online platform. You receive simple receipts and statements for your gifts to your DAF for tax reporting purposes.

Your gifts to your DAF are fully tax-deductible as permitted by law. The Jewish Community Foundation is a division of The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, a 501(c)(3) public charity.

All investment earnings are credited to the donor advised fund.

You select the name of the fund. Use your own name, a family name, or a name that is meaningful to you. The fund can also be anonymous.

When you establish a DAF, you will name advisors, and if you choose, successor advisors for the fund. Advisors will be able to use the web platform to recommend grants and view fund activity.

You can establish a fund with a minimum balance of $10,000.

We use a sliding fee scale depending on the size of your DAF. Funds up to $500K are charged an annual fee of 1%. Fees on the next $9.5M are charged 0.5%. For higher balances, a sliding fee scale is used. These fees are subject to change by Foundation’s Trustees.

Our fees support general Foundation services, donor learning and collaborative funding communities, and community projects of the Foundation focused on building a better world and vibrant Jewish community.

DAF assets are invested in a sophisticated portfolio overseen by an investment committee of seasoned professionals and investment advisors, who oversee the Foundation’s Investment Consultant, Graystone Consulting. For DAFs of $5 million or more, you may recommend your own investment advisor for the fund. The investment earnings are credited to your fund, giving you more to contribute to the community.

You can recommend a minimum grant of $100.

Grants may not result in impermissible benefits, such as dinners, event tickets, auction items, or tuition, for donors, advisors, or people connected to them.

Grants are processed weekly on Fridays. Checks are mailed within 7 to 10 business days (excluding holidays) of your recommendation.

Currently, there are no rules that require donor advised funds to grant a minimum amount during a specific period. However, there are ongoing discussions at both the state and federal levels to impose minimum granting requirements on donor advised fundholders. We will keep you abreast of any developments.