Photo: Axie Breen

Donor Advised Funds (DAFs): A Smart and Flexible Way to Give

A Donor Advised Fund (DAF) is one of the most convenient and tax-efficient ways to support the causes you care about most.

Think of it as a charitable investment account that’s used exclusively to support nonprofit organizations. You contribute cash, securities, or other assets to your DAF, receive an immediate tax deduction, and then recommend grants from the fund to your favorite charities over time.

If you don’t already have a DAF, and want to learn more about creating one and expanding your philanthropic impact, visit www.dafday.com/daf-101.

How It Works

  1. Set Up Your Fund: You establish a Donor Advised Fund through a sponsoring organization, such as Combined Jewish Philanthropies (CJP), Fidelity Charitable, or Schwab Charitable.

  2. Contribute Assets: You can make a tax-deductible contribution of cash, stocks, or other appreciated assets into your DAF.

  3. Recommend Grants: Once your fund is established, you can recommend grants to qualified charities at any time. The sponsoring organization handles the distribution, recordkeeping, and administration.

This structure gives you the flexibility to plan your charitable giving strategically — you can take a tax deduction now and decide later which organizations to support.

Supporting Jewish Family Service of Metrowest

JFS’ sound fiscal management practices and commitment to accountability and transparency have earned it a multi-year 4-star rating from Charity Navigator (with a perfect score of 100%!) and a multi-year Platinum Seal of Transparency from Candid (formerly known as Guidestar) so you can have confidence that your donation will drive change and make a difference.

If you have a DAF and would like to support Jewish Family Service of Metrowest (JFS), you can easily recommend a grant directly from your fund. Simply search for:

JEWISH FAMILY SERVICE OF METROWEST INC
EIN: 04-2730898

Once selected, indicate the purpose of your gift (if applicable) and confirm your grant recommendation.

You can also use DAFpay to make recommending your gift easy:

Need Help?

If you’re not sure how to initiate the transfer or have questions about giving through your DAF, contact your Fund Manager for specific instructions. They can assist you in processing the grant to ensure your contribution reaches JFS quickly and smoothly.

Thank you for investing in JFS – it is only through your involvement and generosity that our collective impact is possible.