A Donor Advised Fund Is for You If...
- You're considering a lifetime gift in partnership with us.
- You currently make outright gifts to us and other charities.
- You want to stay involved in the work of the charities you benefit.
- You admire the investment management of our endowment fund.
About Donor Advised Funds
At Seattle Children's we are making it easier for you to set up one gift account that makes regular charitable distributions to both us and other charities.
Operating somewhat like a private foundation, a Donor Advised Fund (DAF) gives you the security of skilled financial management and the flexibility and control of guiding your gifts to the program at Children's that you are most involved with each year.
Donor Advised Funds operate as part of our endowment, so you have the security of professional management and the opportunity to take advantage of our investment opportunities.
The grantmaking procedure is simple, and your DAF offers you complete deductibility of the contributions you make to it plus full documentation on all distributions it makes on your behalf.
In addition, because you can involve your family in deciding which program at Seattle Children's your DAF will benefit, you may find that this is a great way to instill and nurture philanthropic values.
How Donor Advised Funds Work
You make a minimum initial gift of $100,000 to establish a DAF with Seattle Children's. Additional contributions to the fund can be made at any time. The gift becomes our property, and is managed as part of our endowment fund.
Each year, a percentage of the value of the DAF, determined by our endowment spending formula, is available for grants to programs at Seattle Children's. You or your advisor suggests the recipients of grants to be made from this distribution account.
We review your suggestions, and, if we approve them, make distributions to the named programs, identifying the grants as coming from your DAF.
Placing this grantmaking authority in our hands ensures that your gift establishing the DAF is complete in the eyes of the IRS and therefore deductible.
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Making Grants
You, or the advisor you have nominated, recommend the recipients of annual grants. We will not approve a suggested grant from your DAF that would benefit you or your advisor, go to a private foundation, support political activities, or be used for any purpose which is not wholly charitable or consistent with our mission.
Example
Here is a comparison of the features of our DAFs with those of a private foundation and a commercial gift fund:
| Features | Donor Advised Fund | Commercial Charitable Gift Fund | Private Foundation |
|---|
| Set-up costs | None | None | Legal and accounting fees |
| Annual fee | None | Up to 2% annually plus commissions | Record-keeping expenses |
| Income tax deduction for gifts to fund | 50% of AGI for cash gifts 30% of AGI for property gifts | 50% of AGI for cash gifts 30% of AGI for property gifts | 30% of AGI for cash gifts; 20% of AGI for property gifts |
| Tax on net investment income | None | None | 2% |
| Minimum Annual Payout | None | Varies | 5% of assets |
| Ability to take advantage of our investment expertise? | Yes | No | No |
For More Information
For more information, contact 206-987-4977.
This is not professional tax or legal advice. Donors must consult their tax and legal advisors regarding their specific situation.