Support the Charities You Care About Through a Donor-Advised Fund

Are you looking for a simple, flexible and tax efficient way to support your favorite charities? A donor-advised fund is like a charitable investment account, for the sole purpose of supporting charitable organizations you care about. Donor-advised funds (DAFs) are the fastest-growing tools for philanthropic giving. A donor-advised fund is a philanthropic vehicle established at a public charity, called the sponsoring organization. It allows you, the donor, to make a charitable contribution from cash or other assets, receive an immediate tax benefit and then recommend grants from the fund over time.

How Does a donor-advised fund work?

• You establish your donor-advised fund by making an irrevocable, tax-deductible contribution to a sponsoring organization. 
• You surrender legal ownership of the monies in the fund, but retain advisory privileges to recommend grants. 
• The sponsoring organization makes grants from the DAF over time to IRS-qualified public nonprofits like the CDC Foundation. 
• Your donation to the fund is also invested based on your preferences, so it has the potential to grow, tax-free, while you’re deciding which charities to support.

What are the Benefits of a donor-advised fund?

• You are eligible for an immediate tax deduction. 
• It simplifies record-keeping; you only have one tax receipt. 
• You advise the sponsoring organization on how to grant the money to the CDC Foundation and other favorite nonprofits. 
• Your donation is invested, so it has the potential to grow, tax-free, while you decide which nonprofits to support. 
• Contributing assets other than cash is simple. Assets you can contribute include publicly traded securities, mutual fund shares, bitcoin, private equity and hedge fund interests, real estate, certain complex assets, such as privately held C-corp and S-corp shares. 
• Unlike credit card donations or online gifts, DAF grants are not subject to a processing fee, so 100 percent of your grant goes to the CDC Foundation. 
• You can designate your giving where needed most or to any named or endowed fund with the CDC Foundation. 
• Often you can make automatic, monthly or annual donations.

How do I make a Gift through my donor-advised fund?

If you have a donor-advised fund with a financial institution, like Vanguard Charitable, TIAA Charitable or your local community foundation, you can use our online DAF tool to recommend your grant to the CDC Foundation. If your financial institution or local community foundation is not listed, please let us know. If you wish to contact your financial institution directly, you will need the following information:

Legal Name: National Foundation for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Inc. (dba CDC Foundation)
Address: 600 Peachtree Street NE, Suite 1000, Atlanta, GA 30308
Federal Tax ID Number: 58-2106707

When you make a commitment to give, you want your charitable donation to be as effective as possible. A donor-advised fund is one of the easiest ways to accomplish this. If you have questions or would like more information, please contact Amy Macklin, senior advancement officer, at amacklin@cdcfoundation.org or 404.523.1874.

This post is intended to provide general information that we hope will be helpful to you in your tax, estate, and charitable planning. It is not a substitute for legal or tax advice. Prospective donors are urged to consult their personal tax and financial advisors concerning the specific consequences of making gifts to the CDC Foundation.