Financial advisors know donor advised funds (DAFs) are powerful tools for clients who want to give strategically. What’s less known is how a DAF at the Community Foundation can serve as the foundation of a client’s entire charitable portfolio—combining flexibility, tax advantages, and community impact.
Organize annual giving
A DAF offers a simple way to manage gifts of cash, appreciated stock, or other assets while choosing when to support favorite charities. This flexibility is especially valuable in 2025 before the new floor and cap on charitable deductions take effect. “Bunching” multiple years of giving into a DAF this year can create meaningful tax benefits and build a ready reserve for future grants.
Beyond the DAF
A DAF is just the start. At the Community Foundation, clients gain access to a
team that can help them explore additional giving options, such as:
- Designated Funds – provide steady support for specific nonprofits.
- Field-of-Interest Funds – focus on an issue area, such as education or the environment.
- Unrestricted Funds – empower the Foundation to meet evolving community needs.
Giving from IRAs
Clients age 70½ and older can make Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) of up to $108,000 (2025 limit) from IRAs to a designated, field-of-interest, or unrestricted fund—reducing taxable income while supporting causes they care about.
Legacy planning
We can also help integrate charitable giving into estate plans through bequests
or beneficiary designations. Naming a fund at the Community Foundation ensures
clients’ charitable wishes are honored and continue to benefit the community
for generations.
The bottom line
Partnering with the Community Foundation turns a donor advised fund from a
simple giving vehicle into a dynamic, flexible cornerstone of a long-term
charitable strategy—one that adapts as tax laws and community priorities
evolve.