Donar-advised funds
Grow the giving.
Not the workload.
Open, fund, invest, and recommend grants all on Altruist, alongside every other account in a household.
$0
No opening, balance, or grant minimums
Minutes
To open and fund a DAF
50 bps
Starting administrative fee
1.8M+
Eligible charities
The DAF account is charged an asset-based platform fee, calculated on the account’s average daily balance and billed monthly; see the Altruist Financial LLC Fee Schedule for details.
Open. Fund. Grant.
For illustrative purposes only. Fund materials and platform screens shown are examples and do not represent actual transactions or offerings.
Why advisors choose
Altruist DAFs
One login
You open, fund, and invest. Your client recommends grants. All on Altruist.
Securities or cash funding
Contribute cash or move appreciated securities straight in—no sale required.
No
minimums
No opening, balance, or grant minimums, so DAFs aren’t just for your largest clients.
Flexible investing
Assign a model from the Altruist Model Marketplace, or build a custom portfolio, a unified managed account, or a personalized indexing strategy.
Client-driven
Clients can search eligible charities, save favorites, and recommend grants on their own.
How it works
1. Open
Select DAF at account opening and send it to your client to accept.
2. Fund
Add cash, move in securities without selling, or transfer a DAF held elsewhere.
3. Invest
Assign a marketplace model or build a custom portfolio.
4. Grant
Recommend, grant, then track them in the account.
Donor-advised funds, explained
A simple guide to how they work and when they help.
What it is
A donor-advised fund is a charitable account held at a public charity, called the sponsoring organization. Your client contributes cash or stock to the DAF sponsor, who administers the account. In return, your client gets to advise on what charities they want to support—now or over time.
Why an advisor may recommend a DAF
Commit the money to charity now, choose the recipients later
The moment the contribution is made, the money is set aside for charitable use, and nothing can pull it back. Your client can take months or years to decide which organizations should receive it, and give in whatever amounts and on whatever schedule fits their philanthropic goals.
Separate the deduction from the giving
A gift to a donor-advised fund counts as a charitable contribution to a public charity, so a client can take a tax deduction in the year they give. The money can reach charities years later.
Give appreciated stock without the tax bill
When a client sells appreciated securities, they owe capital gains tax. Giving those publicly traded securities to a DAF instead does not trigger that tax, and they deduct what it is worth on the day they give it. The stock has to have been held for more than a year, and the same logic applies to other appreciated assets.
Skip the work of running a foundation
A private charitable foundation is a new organization your client has to create and then run. It files its own tax returns, has to give away a required minimum every year, and pays tax on its investment income. A donor-advised fund sits inside a charity that already handles all of that.
Carry the giving into the next generation
A client can name successors, who take over the right to recommend grants after the client passes away. Because the sponsor already owns the assets, they sit outside the client’s taxable estate. A succession plan can also direct whatever is left to specific charitable organizations. This is where donor-advised funds enter estate planning and legacy planning conversations.
Considerations
The gift is one-way
Once the assets go to the sponsor, the client cannot get them back or redirect them to anything other than charity.
The sponsor has the final say
The public charity that sponsors DAFs owns the assets, confirms the receiving organization is eligible, approves and disburses each grant, and handles IRS reporting. Your client focuses on the recommendation.
The deduction only helps itemizers
Taxpayers who take the standard deduction get no deduction at all.
The deduction has a ceiling*
The charitable deduction is capped at a percentage of the client’s adjusted gross income (AGI), and the cap differs for cash contributions versus appreciated assets.
Complex assets take time and can be turned down
Some sponsors accept illiquid assets, like real estate, stakes in private businesses, cryptocurrency, and art. These gifts have to be appraised and pass the sponsor’s due diligence first, so they take longer than cash or stock, and the sponsor can decline.
* Recent tax law changes affect deduction limits and thresholds. See IRS: Charitable contribution deductions (https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/charitable-organizations/charitable-contribution-deductions) for current rules, or consult a tax advisor.
More giving.
More time.
Support more of your clients’ charitable giving without adding hours to your week.
Frequently
asked questions
How do I open a DAF for a client?
Your firm completes a one-time onboarding by acknowledging a short set of agreements in the advisor portal. After that, it’s the standard flow: select Donor-Advised Fund during account opening and send it to your client to accept.
Can I transfer an existing DAF into Altruist?
Yes. Because DAF assets belong to the sponsor, a transfer works like a grant: open a DAF in Altruist, then ask the current sponsor to grant the balance to the new fund. Altruist shows you every detail the current sponsor’s grant form will ask for, in one click. How fast it completes is up to the current sponsor.
Who decides how the DAF is invested?
Advisors choose the investment options within the sponsor’s investment policy. Trade the account, assign any marketplace model, or build a custom portfolio, UMA, or personalized indexing strategy. The sponsor legally owns the assets, and its policy sets what’s eligible.
Can clients recommend grants without me?
Yes, from their Altruist web portal or app, with no grant minimum. They can save favorite organizations, and you both see the same account. Clients can also contribute funds; only advisors can trade.
Can clients give to a religious organization?
Generally yes—houses of worship are 501(c)(3) organizations. More than 1.8 million eligible charities are searchable, and a missing organization can be added in a few clicks. The sponsor approves all grant recommendations.
Can I give specific tax lots from a taxable account?
Journaling moves securities at the position level today. Advisors choose which holdings to give, not individual lots.
How does the rebalancer work with DAFs?
Like any other account. Assign a model or portfolio to the DAF, and the rebalancer keeps it aligned.
Can I grant anonymously?
Yes. Select the ‘grant anonymously’ option as you submit the grant.
Who sponsors Altruist DAFs?
Endaoment, a public charity. It legally owns contributed assets, handles IRS obligations, and approves grants. You and your clients do everything through Altruist.
How long can funds stay in a donor-advised fund?
There is no federal deadline. Assets can stay invested indefinitely, and your client can recommend grants on whatever schedule fits their philanthropic goals. Sponsoring organizations may set their own inactivity policies.
Do DAFs show up in the household view?
Yes, automatically—balances, contributions, grants, available cash, and giving history, alongside every other account.
How does DAF data flow to third-party reporting tools?
The same way every Altruist account does. DAF balances, holdings, and activity flow through your existing integrations—no separate feed or setup.
How are contributions reported for taxes?
The sponsor issues the contribution receipt and annual acknowledgment, delivered through Altruist’s Document Center. Grants aren’t separately deductible—the deduction happens at contribution. Clients should consult a tax advisor.
What does an Altruist DAF cost?
A tiered platform fee, billed monthly to the DAF account. It starts at 0.50% a year on the first $500K and steps down as the balance grows. It’s separate from your advisory fee, Altruist’s custody fees, and fund expenses. Other fees may apply; see the Altruist Financial LLC Fee Schedule and DAF disclosures.
DAFs on Altruist are sponsored by Endaoment, a 501(c)(3) public charity that is the legal owner of DAF assets. Contributions are irrevocable. Grant and investment recommendations are advisory only and subject to Endaoment’s approval. Donors cannot receive a benefit from fund allocations.