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DONOR-ADVISED FUND

Give with a donor-advised fund

Contribute to a donor-advised fund (or DAF) on your schedule and suggest grants from it online. The Trust created the first donor-advised fund in 1931 and we’ve been successfully managing donor-advised funds ever since. You’ll have access to our unrivaled local issue area expertise, donor events, and more.

Why should I open a donor-advised fund?

Immediate tax benefits

Make contributions to a donor-advised fund and receive an immediate tax benefit. Then recommend grants to nonprofits of your choice over time.

Leverage our unrivaled local expertise

Our grantmaking experts come from highly specialized backgrounds and have years of working closely with local nonprofits. Whatever cause you want to support and however you want to make a difference, they can help.

Reduce paperwork

Give to dozens of great nonprofits without the hassle of collecting tax receipts.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Trust invented the DAF in 1931 and we’ve been helping donors give easily and effectively with them ever since.

What kinds of gifts can I make to a DAF?
When can I give to a DAF?
What will I be supporting?
What are my investment options?
How can I give with a DAF?
What kinds of gifts can I make to a DAF?

We accept a variety of assets

You can fund your DAF with cash, a credit card, publicly or closely held stock, property, retirement assets, and even through bequest.

Note that while you can give Qualified Charitable Distributions from your IRA to our Community Needs Fund or to a permanent fund, they don’t count as charitable distributions when contributed to your DAF (aka, you can’t get the tax write-off).

More about assets
When can I give to a DAF?

Time your gift on your terms

One of the reasons DAFs are so popular is that they allow the donor to give when it is right for them. Some donors bundle their annual contributions into one gift every few years for tax purposes. Others give when they are rebalancing their stock portfolios or if they’ve had a windfall. You can also fund DAFs in your will, by either funding your own or creating new ones as gifts for your family and friends.

What will I be supporting?

Your fund, your choice

You can suggest grants to organizations working locally, across the country, or internationally—as long as they have an office in the U.S. Once you suggest your grants, our grantmaking experts vet the nonprofits, and handle the payments and paperwork. While your recommendations can’t be binding (under IRS rules, our board has the final say), we take your suggestions very seriously. When you open a donor-advised fund with The Trust, you get access to a community of philanthropic experts who will help you make a difference in your community.

What are my investment options?

Four choices for donors

Some donors want their funds to grow over the long term, others value short-term liquidity or socially responsible options. Whatever your investment objectives, we have great options.

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How can I give with a DAF?

You can give anytime on our donor portal.

With our easy-to-use online portal, MyGrants, you can suggest grants 24/7. You also can schedule reoccurring gifts and fulfill pledges.

Many of our clients want to give generously to charity, and quite a few ask about starting a private foundation. Often, I tell them it doesn’t make sense. Instead, I recommend starting a donor-advised fund in The New York Community Trust, or a bequest, or both.

Jay D. Waxenberg, senior partner at Proskauer Rose LLP

A short video about donor-advised funds in The New York Community Trust

Simplify your charitable giving

Open a donor-advised fund today with our easy online form or contact one of our philanthropic giving experts to learn more.

Get in touch to open a DAF

John Oddy

Vice President for Donor Relations

Email: joddy@thenytrust.org

Phone: (212) 686-2564

John Oddy

Get in touch to open a DAF

Marie C. Smith

Director of Donor Relations & Communications, Long Island

Email: msmith@thenytrust.org

Phone: (631) 991-8800 x223

Marie Smith

Get in touch to open a DAF

Laura Rossi

She/Hers

Executive Director, Westchester

Email: lrossi@thenytrust.org

Phone: (914) 948-5166 x3

Laura Rossi

More ways to give

No matter how you want to make an impact, we can help you turn a variety of assets into a force for good. Explore the different funds we offer.

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