A donor-advised fund (DAF) is a charitable account administered by a sponsoring nonprofit organization, or “sponsor,” for the purpose of supporting the charities you care about most. When you contribute to a DAF, you receive an immediate charitable tax deduction and the flexibility to recommend grants to your favorite charitable organizations over time. As the person who can recommend how the sponsor distributes grants from your fund, your role is referred to as the “advisor.”

How it works

  • Give: Open a DAF with a sponsoring organization and make a contribution to it. Many donors simply contribute cash, but sponsoring organizations are usually able to accept gifts of appreciated stock or other assets as well. You’ll receive an immediate income tax deduction.
  • Invest: The sponsoring organization may provide the opportunity for you to recommend an investment strategy for your fund from a range of options.
  • Grant: Recommend grants to qualified U.S. public charities – like Duke – and support the causes that matter most to you.

Each sponsor of a DAF program will have rules regarding minimum fund size, grant size, fees, investment options, and other guidelines. Please consider these carefully before establishing your DAF.

Benefits for you:

  • Retain flexibility to recommend which charities your fund supports, and when
  • Centralize your philanthropy and minimize tax receipts
  • Receive assistance with more complex giving strategies – such as gifts of privately held business interests or cryptocurrency –that other charitable organizations may not be able to accept directly

Benefits for Duke:

  • Use DAF grants to make an immediate impact at Duke
  • Satisfy multi-year commitments to the Annual Fund
  • Create or add to an existing permanent endowment in your name or in memory of a loved one,such as a financial aid scholarship.

How to use a DAF for an IMMEDIATE IMPACT at Duke

  1. Contact your DAF sponsor to recommend a one-time or recurring grant to Duke. When making a grant, your donor advised fund may need Duke’s mailing address and Tax ID.

    Mailing Address
    Alumni & Development Records Duke University
    Box 90581
    Durham, NC 27708

    Duke University’s Tax ID
    56-0532129
  2. Contact a Duke fundraiser you are already working with, or Duke’s Office of Gift Planning, to let the university know of your DAF recommendation so we can appropriately acknowledge your generosity and ensure that your grant is allocated according to your desires and any grant restrictions.

Factors to consider

  • Grants from DAFs may be used to establish endowment funds and may qualify for matching funds,if available.
  • A multi-year commitment may be fulfilled through DAF grants under certain circumstances. Such a commitment would be considered a “non-binding intention” rather than a legal “pledge.” If you would like to make a multi-year commitment that you intend to satisfy through grants from your DAF, please note this on your commitment form or inform a Duke development officer of your plans.
  • DAF grants cannot be used if the donor or anyone else receives something of value in return–such as the ability to purchase basketball tickets in Cameron Indoor Stadium through support of the Iron Dukes.

How to use a DAF for a FUTURE IMPACT at Duke

A DAF can be a useful and tax-efficient tool for supporting charities you care about in the near-term and can often be incorporated into your longer-term philanthropic plans. Most sponsors allow you to designate which charities will receive the remaining balance of your DAF after your passing. Alternatively, you may be able to designate a successor advisor who can recommend grants from your DAF after you pass away. This can be a great way to support your passions at Duke with a legacy gift.

If you do not designate one or more charities as remainder beneficiaries of your DAF (or if you do not specify a successor advisor), your sponsoring organization may have discretion to distribute any remaining assets according to their own priorities – not yours. Please be sure to carefully consider and document how you intend your DAF to be ultimately distributed.

  1. Contact your DAF sponsor for a beneficiary form to designate Duke University to receive some or all of your DAF remainder after you pass away. This can often be accomplished through your DAF’s website. You may need to provide Duke’s tax ID: 56-0532129.
  2. To designate your legacy DAF gift to a specific use – such financial aid, or to support a particular school or program – contact Duke’s Office of Gift Planning to discuss your options.


When you name Duke to receive a portion of your DAF as a testamentary gift, please let us know! Knowing your intentions in advance will help us ensure that your gift will be used as you wish. Plus, we would like the opportunity to thank you personally for your generosity!

CONTACT US TO GET STARTED