When developing a charitable giving strategy, there are a number of approaches and solutions to consider, depending on your unique circumstances. Let’s take a look at one option that may be worth considering—a Donor-Advised Fund (DAF).

Understanding Your Options

One of the advantages of employing the use of a DAF in your charitable giving strategy is that, in certain scenarios, it can be utilized to separate your tax strategy from your charitable giving strategy. Because you always receive the tax benefits of contributing to a DAF in the year the gift is made, A DAF is a viable recipient for directing charitable donations as part of your annual tax strategy.

At the same time, the distributions from your DAF to other charitable organizations can be made over time, in some cases years after the initial gift is made to the DAF. This space between the original gift and the final distribution allows for the separation of tax and charitable planning. Let’s take a look at three different scenarios to see how this might work in the real world.

Scenario 1: Mary needs to make a charitable tax deduction this year, but hasn't decided on a designated charity. 

In this scenario, our client Mary, is reviewing her current tax situation with her accountant who has determined that she should make a $25,000 gift to charity in order to offset some of her income for the current year. While Mary would like to make this charitable donation, she doesn’t currently have a relationship with any charities and, as a result, is uncertain where to donate the gift. By donating to a DAF before the end of the year, Mary receives a current-year tax deduction, then can take time to research charities of interest to her while her original gift continues to grow.

Over time, she can advise on how to distribute the funds within her DAF as she determines charities that interest her.

Scenario 2: Mary needs a sizable charitable deduction this year, but doesn't feel comfortable donating a large dollar amount to a single charity all at once. 

Mary typically gives to a few small, local charities and has concerns about their ability to handle a large donation as well as the perception should she suddenly write them a large check. In this scenario, let’s assume that Mary received a windfall income this year, and as a result, her accountant recommended that a sizeable charitable donation of $250,000 be made to offset some of that income. Again, Mary can donate to her DAF this year. Then, over a series of years, she can advise multiple smaller gifts to be made to the charities of her choice. Her privacy is maintained regarding the windfall event, and the charities can continue to operate normally without any potential disruption.

Scenario 3: Mary would like to accumulate her annual charitable gifts over multiple years in order to make a single, larger gift. 

DAFs can also be used to accumulate many years of smaller charitable contributions in order to make a single, large donation. In this scenario, Mary would like to make a sizeable donation to her alma mater, perhaps with the intent of receiving more considerable recognition than she otherwise would receive for a smaller, annual gift. In this instance, Mary can make her annual charitable contributions to her DAF and let them grow within the account; then, after several years, when the balance is large enough, Mary can advise that it be directed toward her alma mater. With this larger, single gift, Mary can have more impact than she otherwise might have with a series of smaller, annual contributions.

A great benefit of incorporating a DAF into your annual tax and charitable planning is that it effectively allows you to separate the tax decisions that need to be made this year from the process of identifying and directing gifts toward charitable beneficiaries. In doing so, you can focus on optimizing your tax strategy in the current year. Then, over time, optimize your charitable giving strategy in a way that makes the most sense for you and the final recipients.

Working With Janney

Depending on your financial needs and personal preferences, you may opt to engage in a brokerage relationship, an advisory relationship or a combination of both. Each time you open an account, we will make recommendations on which type of relationship is in your best interest based on the information you provide when you complete or update your client profile.

If you engage in a brokerage relationship, you will buy and sell securities on a transaction basis and pay a commission for these services. Our recommendations for the purchase and sale of securities will be based on what is in your best interest and reflect reasonably available alternatives at that time.

If you engage in an advisory relationship, you will pay an asset-based fee, which encompasses, among other things, a defined investment strategy, ongoing monitoring, and performance reporting. Your Financial Advisor will serve in a fiduciary capacity for your advisory relationships.

For more information about Janney, please see Janney’s Relationship Summary (Form CRS) on www.janney.com/crs which details all material facts about the scope and terms of our relationship with you and any potential conflicts of interest.

By establishing a relationship with a Janney Financial Advisor, we can build a tailored financial plan and make recommendations about solutions that are aligned with your best interest and unique needs, goals, and preferences.

Contact us today to discuss how we can put a plan in place designed to help you reach your financial goals.

The information provided is general and educational in nature. It is not intended to be, and should not be construed as, legal or tax advice. The concepts illustrated here have legal, accounting and tax implications. Neither Janney Montgomery Scott LLC nor its Financial Advisors give tax, legal, or accounting advice. Please consult with the appropriate professional for advice concerning your particular circumstances. The examples provided are all hypothetical and do not take into account any specific situations. The hypothetical examples are provided to help illustrate the concepts discussed throughout and do not consider the effect of fees, expenses, or other costs that will effect investing outcomes. Any actual performance results will differ from the hypothetical situations illustrated here. Please consult a professional to help you evaluate your situation before implementing any of the strategies discussed here.

About the author

Martin Schamis

Vice President & Head of Wealth Planning

Read more from Martin Schamis

For more information about Janney, please see Janney’s Relationship Summary (Form CRS) on www.janney.com/crs which details all material facts about the scope and terms of our relationship with you and any potential conflicts of interest.

To learn about the professional background, business practices, and conduct of FINRA member firms or their financial professionals, visit FINRA’s BrokerCheck website: http://brokercheck.finra.org/