Donor Advised Funds at the DCF: Make a Difference that Lasts Longer than the Latest App

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Technology allows us to do almost everything in an instant — order groceries, stream our favorite shows, even pay a parking ticket.

But not everything is meant to over in a flash, especially if you want to give with lasting impact.

For those who are looking to make a difference with their charitable dollars, a donor advised fund at the DCF remains a great way to make meaningful contributions to the causes and organizations that personally matter to you while also taking advantage of significant tax benefits. And donors who work with the DCF also get the benefit of the expertise and experience that DCF staff have about organizations and initiatives that are making a difference in Delaware.

Every year, our donor advised fundholders give away millions of dollars (almost $8 million in FY 2017 alone) to help important causes in Delaware and around the world, ranging from the 1916 Fund’s gifts to the Delaware Theatre Company and the Delaware Humane Association to the Charles C. Allen Jr. Family Fund’s support of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Seaford and Nanticoke Health Services.

Every day at the foundation, our staff works with donors to help them achieve their greatest charitable goals. For instance, you may want to help with efforts to improve literacy but don’t know which nonprofits are doing the kind of work in Delaware that is making a difference.

Our staff at the DCF does.

Whether your interest is children’s issues, the arts, the environment, education, health or more…by working with us to create a donor advised fund, you can get help developing a plan that allows you to directly invest in meaningful programs and projects that benefit the community. We welcome the opportunity to work with you to identify meaningful grant making opportunities.

Quite simply, donor advised funds are an efficient way to leverage your personal resources to help others while also enjoying an immediate tax benefit.

Compare a DAF to a private foundation – it provides many of the advantages without the cost and time-consuming administrative responsibilities.

As the donor, you direct where you want your money to go. Of course, you don’t have to decide right away which nonprofits to support, but know that your gift rests with a local staff keenly aware of the needs of the community and the best way to create impact within it.

Donor advised funds aren’t a new idea — they were first established in the 1930s — and they provide community foundations like ours with a means to address some of the critical challenges in our area by putting resources where they are needed most. They’ve gone through some changes in recent years, but when coupled with a strong local organization like DCF, they remain a powerful tool for meaningful giving.

Donor advised funds are just that — donor advised. You choose what organizations to support. When you want to recommend a grant to be dispersed from your fund — either to an organization in Delaware (most grants given through DCF funds are to local organizations) or around the world — you can do so at any time by contacting us.

Philanthropy, like volunteering, is a way to feel good about helping others. It can be an empowering experience, but it doesn’t have to be over in the same amount of time it takes to download a new app.

A strong donor advised fund can provide an opportunity to strategically link philanthropic giving with community needs.

We’d love to talk with you to learn more about how to make that happen.