Donor Advised Fund

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Streamline Your Charitable Giving

The University of Notre Dame Donor Advised Fund (DAF) is a powerful philanthropic vehicle that leverages the Notre Dame Endowment, one of the best-performing endowments in higher education, to maximize the impact of your gift to Notre Dame as well as gifts to other qualified charitable organizations. By establishing a Notre Dame Donor Advised Fund, you can both increase the impact of your charitable giving and simplify the administration of these gifts.

A Notre Dame Donor Advised Fund offers a simpler alternative to the expense and legal complexity of operating a private foundation. Notre Dame manages the administration and distributions without charging fees.

If you have established a DAF at Notre Dame and would like to recommend a grant, you can access your Notre Dame DAF through our new online DAF portal.

If you would like to learn more about the Notre Dame Donor Advised Fund program, please visit plannedgiving.nd.edu ›

Enjoy Attractive Benefits

  1. You receive an immediate income-tax deduction based on the fair market value of your gift;
  2. The administration of your DAF is centralized and benefits from the expert investment management of the Notre Dame Endowment, all with no direct investment or administrative fees;
  3. Enjoy the stability of investing your gift assets with a fiscally sound institution as Notre Dame is one of the few universities to hold a Moody's "Aaa" credit rating, its highest long-term credit rating;
  4. Make a significant impact at Notre Dame and advise the University on distributions to other qualified charities;
  5. The Notre Dame Donor Advised Fund offers privacy and the flexibility to make anonymous distributions;
  6. Make distributions to Notre Dame and other charities on your timetable.

How the Notre Dame Donor Advised Fund Works:

  • You make an irrevocable gift of cash, securities, or real property, with a minimum value of $500,000 to fund a donor advised fund at the University of Notre Dame. You may also transfer assets from existing charitable foundations and donor advised funds held at other institutions to Notre Dame to establish a Notre Dame Donor Advised Fund.
  • Each Notre Dame Donor Advised Fund is comprised of two separate funds. At least 50% of your gifts will go to the Retained Fund, which is used to support areas of your choosing at Notre Dame. The Distributable Fund is the portion that is eligible for distribution to Notre Dame or other qualified charities.
  • The assets in your Notre Dame Donor Advised Fund grow tax-free, and there are no minimum annual distributions.
  • As the advisor of the Notre Dame Donor Advised Fund, you make recommendations for grants in a minimum amount of $5,000. Grants from the Distributable Fund may be made to charities that do not conflict with Notre Dame's values as a Catholic university.
  • The online Notre Dame Donor Advised Fund Portal allows you to access balances, make grant recommendations, and view quarterly fund activity reports and letters to outside charities.
  • When you pass away, your adult children may recommend grants from your Notre Dame Donor Advised Fund for a 10-year term.

Ways to Create a Donor Advised Fund

The following are assets that can be used to create a donor advised fund with Notre Dame.

Gifts of Cash
Gifts of Securities

How Do I Get Started?

  • Learn more about creating a Donor Advised Fund at Notre Dame by downloading our brochure.
  • Contact us today to speak with one of our Gift Planning Officers. They are well versed in the tax implications of planned gifts and want to help you maximize the impact of your gift.