The donor-advised fund
The vehicle behind a strategic giving plan. A flexible, lower-cost alternative to a private foundation, with immediate personal tax benefits and the freedom to grant on your own timeline.
Intent gives. Structure amplifies. The donor-advised fund is where the two meet.
One vehicle within a wider giving strategy
There are nine ways a business owner can give more and pay less in tax, from gifts of securities to private share donations to charitable remainder trusts. The donor-advised fund, or DAF, is one of them, and for many families it is the most practical place to start.
A DAF is a charitable account you fund today and grant from over time. You contribute cash, appreciated public shares, or certain pre-approved private assets, claim an immediate tax receipt, then take your time deciding which registered charities to support and when.
It delivers much of the control of a private foundation without the administrative weight, cost, or multi-generational commitment that a foundation requires.
See the full giving strategyThe model
How a donor-advised fund works
Fund the account
Contribute cash, appreciated securities, or pre-approved non-publicly-traded assets into your donor-advised fund in a single, tax-advantageous step.
Receive an immediate receipt
Claim your charitable tax credit in the year you contribute, even before you have decided where every dollar will ultimately go.
Grow before you grant
Assets in the fund are professionally managed and can grow tax free, giving you more to grant over a longer horizon.
Grant on your timeline
Recommend grants to the registered charities you choose, at the pace that suits your family and your causes.
Tax-efficient funding
Donate the asset, not the proceeds
The most powerful way to fund a DAF is rarely with cash. Contributing assets in kind keeps more capital working for the causes you care about and less of it lost to tax.
Explore all nine strategiesGifts of securities
Donate appreciated public shares directly to the fund and eliminate one hundred percent of the capital gains tax on their growth, then receive a receipt for full fair-market value.
Corporate surplus
For business owners, in-kind giving can move trapped corporate surplus toward your philanthropy in a structured, tax-efficient way.
One receipt, many gifts
A single contribution funds years of future grants, so your giving and your tax planning no longer have to happen on the same calendar.
Flexibility on your terms
Granting that follows your intent
Give now, decide later
Lock in this year’s tax benefit, then research and select charities without pressure.
Support causes over time
Spread grants across years and organisations, building a considered legacy rather than a one-time gift.
We absorb the administration
Wealth Bridge coordinates the structure, paperwork, and reporting so more of your contribution reaches the cause.
Where the DAF fits in your plan
A donor-advised fund is most powerful when it is not treated in isolation. We integrate it with your investment strategy, your corporate structure, and your estate plan so that philanthropy acts as an asset, not a liability, to the wider picture.
For some families a DAF is the whole answer. For others it is a first step toward a private foundation or a charitable remainder trust. Either way, it begins from the same question: if you have the intent to give, how do we help you do it better?
Read the giving strategy
A simpler, smarter way to give.
A donor-advised approach lets you give flexibly and tax-efficiently, fully integrated with your estate plan. Start a conversation about your giving goals.
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