Donor-Advised Funds

What is a donor-advised fund?

A donor-advised fund, or DAF, is like a charitable investment account for the sole purpose of supporting the charitable organizations you care about most. When you contribute cash, securities, or other assets into a DAF you are generally eligible to take an immediate tax deduction. Those funds are invested for tax-free growth, and you can recommend gifts, called grants, to any eligible IRS-qualified public charity, including EcoWB.

How do I set up a DAF?

Select a DAF sponsoring entity that that works for you. There are many sponsoring entities to choose from including those operated by the well-known investment companies listed above. 

Check the minimum contribution required to start a fund, which usually ranges from $5,000 to $25,000. Then make an initial contribution of cash or appreciated assets such as stocks or mutual funds, or even non-publicly traded assets like private business interests to start your fund. Because this contribution is irrevocably allocated for charitable giving, you will get an immediate income tax deduction. Once invested in your DAF, the funds will grow tax-free. You can also add to your DAF over time. 

Once established, you can direct grants from your DAF to your favorite charities, such as EcoWB.

Due to the higher standard deduction from the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, fewer people itemize deductions for charitable gifts. However, making a larger donation to your DAF in a single tax year can boost your federal deductions above the standard level, enabling you to itemize. In following years, you can take the standard deduction while still supporting your favorite charities through grants from your DAF.

1. Make an outright grant to EcoWB today:

Use the form above to make a grant. It’s straightforward, easy, and can be done in just a few minutes.

Alternatively, you can contact your fund administrator to request a distribution. To make a grant to EcoWB this way you will need our legal name and federal tax ID:

Legal Name:  Ecologists Without Borders
Address:  Ecologists Without Borders, PO Box 51094 Seattle, WA 98115
Federal Tax ID Number: 45-3628233

2. Designate EcoWB to receive all or a portion of the fund value upon the termination of the fund:

While a DAF is intended for you to spend down on charitable contributions during your lifetime, it can be hard to ensure the account is zeroed out at your passing, especially because funds in the account grow tax-free. 

You can name a charity (or several charities) as a successor, and they will receive the remainder of your account. If you do not select a successor, the account reverts to the DAF sponsor for them to distribute to the charities of their choosing (not yours).

You may even choose the EcoWB Endowment Fund as a successor of the remainder of your DAF account. By doing this, the remainder of DAF will live-on in perpetuity allowing EcoWB to continue to build resilience and create a lasting impact for both people and the planet. 

Please get in touch and let us know if you have named EcoWB as a successor of your DAF as we would like to be able to thank you for this incredible gesture during your lifetime. 

For more information about the EcoWB Endowment Fund please contact us at giving@ecowb.org.