Donors at national and commercial donor-advised funds have encountered a nasty surprise recently when their providers stalled or rejected their grant requests. If you find yourself in this situation, here’s what to do.
Donor intent is under attack. Cancel culture now spreads to even donor-advised funds (DAFs). In our polarized political climate, national and commercial DAF providers have started limiting donors’ grant recommendations by stalling grants and, with greater frequency, rejecting requests to conservative organizations outright. One commercial DAF sponsor has gone as far as having a policy of prohibiting grants to think tanks.
This changing DAF landscape begs the question, “Which one of the organizations I support will be next?”
If you find yourself in this situation, consider rolling over your DAF to a provider like the Bradley Impact Fund that shares your values and principles. Your DAF can be more than just a giving vehicle. Your DAF provider can be a partner that supports you in making thoughtful, well-informed decisions to protect your donor intent and maximize your philanthropic impact. As Bradley Impact Fund Senior Vice President Jessica Dean notes in this issue, there are real advantages to finding and working with a true partner in strategic philanthropy.
The rollover process is straightforward: Open an account with a new DAF provider of your choosing and request a grant from your current DAF provider to the new provider. You have options for the grant rollover amount, or you may prefer to roll over all the funds and close the existing account.
If your current DAF provider is not meeting your advising needs, or worse, delaying or rejecting grants to conservative organizations, please give us a call. We have worked with many donors who have commercial DAFs to roll over their accounts, and we would welcome a conversation with you about how best to protect your donor intent.
The Bradley Impact Fund mission is to serve as philanthropic advisors who educate, empower, and inspire donors to advance our common principles through high-impact giving and the protection of donor intent.
