Donor Advised Fund

A Donor Advised Fund is a popular tool for ongoing involvement in giving. Through a Donor Advised Fund, you can establish an overall purpose for your giving and choose to support nonprofits working in service of that purpose.

The most flexible option is a Donor Advised Fund set up for general charitable purposes, which allows givers to donate to a wide range of organizations.


Distribution Options

Your Donor Advised Fund can function as a charitable account that is spent and replenished according to your personal giving schedule.

Endowing your fund ensures that the impact you want to have becomes a reality not just today, but forever.

Dollars that are not distributed are invested, maximizing the impact of your charitable support.

Others can make tax-deductible contributions to your fund – by check or online – so that it can grow through outreach and fund-raising. (Some restrictions apply to protect the tax-exempt status of the fund.)

Our Advantage: Community Connections

When you set up a Donor Advised Fund through the Philadelphia Foundation, you gain access to our extensive knowledge of the region and the thousands of effective nonprofits addressing its greatest needs. Our service is personal, not transactional, setting us apart from commercial institutions offering donor advised funds.

We’ll help you research nonprofits addressing the causes you value, and will accompany you on site visits to see your dollars in action.

Sample Fund Agreements

View a sample agreement for an Endowed Donor Advised Fund.

View a sample agreement for a Non-Endowed Donor Advised Fund.

Convert Your Private Foundation to a Donor Advised Fund

Establishing a Donor Advised Fund at the Philadelphia Foundation is less complicated and less costly than setting up a private foundation – and offers many additional advantages.

An existing private foundation can easily be converted to a Donor Advised Fund. The private foundation’s name can be perpetuated, and support for the purpose for which it was established can continue.