Donor Advised Funds
Get Started With $5K · You Suggest Grants · Local & Nationwide Impact
Recommend grants to the organizations you choose — on your timeline — with one flexible, tax-advantaged fund at KZCF.
Best For You If …
- You want to support a variety of causes or organizations over time.
- You want to stay personally involved in where your gifts go.
- You want strategic giving with simplified record-keeping without the complexity of a private foundation.
Find Your Perfect Fund Fit
When it comes to community philanthropy, what are you most interested in?
Targeted Focus
Broad Focus
DAFs are our most hands-on and far-reaching fund opportunity!
Not sure which fund fits? Compare fund types
Fund
Nonprofit
Fund
Best For
Organizations investing to grow and sustain their own assets
Who Directs Grants
Your organization requests distributions
Minimum
$50,000
Structure
Endowed (annual spendable) or non-endowed (full access)
Fund
Scholarship
Fund
Best For
Donors focused on education and supporting students
Who Directs Grants
KZCF selection committee awards to students by criteria you set
Minimum
$100,000
Structure
Endowed or
non-endowed
Fund
Field-of-Interest Fund
Best For
Donors passionate about a specific cause or field they define
Who Directs Grants
KZCF awards grants within the field you set
Minimum
From $5,000²
Structure
Permanent
endowment
Fund
Discretionary
Fund
Best For
Donors who trust KZCF to direct gifts to the community's greatest needs
Who Directs Grants
KZCF directs grants where they're needed most
Minimum
$5,000
Structure
Permanent
endowment
Fund
Donor Advised Fund
Best For
Donors who want to support a variety of causes over time and stay personally involved
Who Directs Grants
You recommend grants to organizations you choose
Minimum
$5,000¹
Structure
Flexible; grows
tax-free
Footnotes:
- Anyone can start a DAF with any gift amount; the fund becomes active once the balance reaches $5,000.
- $5,000 if your field mirrors an existing Discretionary/Love Where You Live area; $50,000 for a fully custom field; $100,000 to add an advisory committee and/or RFP process.
Still not sure about the right fit? We can help you! Click here to talk to our team.
Find Your Perfect Fund Fit
When it comes to community philanthropy, what are you most interested in?
Targeted
Focus
- I want to grow and sustain my nonprofit through smart investing.
- I want to support students’ pursuits after high school.
- I simply want to focus my giving wherever support is needed most.
- I am passionate about a specific cause and want to make an impact.
- I want to support different organizations and be involved in selection.
Broad
Focus
DAFs are our most hands-on and far-reaching fund opportunity!
Not sure which fund fits? Compare fund types
Fund
Nonprofit
Fund
Best For
Organizations investing to grow and sustain their own assets
Who Directs Grants
Your organization requests distributions
Minimum
$50,000
Structure
Endowed (annual spendable) or non-endowed (full access)
Fund
Scholarship
Fund
Best For
Donors focused on education and supporting students
Who Directs Grants
KZCF selection committee awards to students by criteria you set
Minimum
$100,000
Structure
Endowed or
non-endowed
Fund
Field-of-Interest Fund
Best For
Donors passionate about a specific cause or field they define
Who Directs Grants
KZCF awards grants within the field you set
Minimum
From $5,000²
Structure
Permanent
endowment
Fund
Discretionary
Fund
Best For
Donors who trust KZCF to direct gifts to the community's greatest needs
Who Directs Grants
KZCF directs grants where they're needed most
Minimum
$5,000
Structure
Permanent
endowment
Fund
Donor Advised Fund
Best For
Donors who want to support a variety of causes over time and stay personally involved
Who Directs Grants
You recommend grants to organizations you choose
Minimum
$5,000¹
Structure
Flexible; grows
tax-free
Footnotes:
- Anyone can start a DAF with any gift amount; the fund becomes active once the balance reaches $5,000.
- $5,000 if your field mirrors an existing Discretionary/Love Where You Live area; $50,000 for a fully custom field; $100,000 to add an advisory committee and/or RFP process.
Still not sure about the right fit? We can help you! Click here to talk to our team.
Overview
A Flexible Giving Tool That You Direct
A Donor Advised Fund (DAF) is a component fund owned and managed by Kalamazoo Community Foundation, where you maintain the privilege to suggest grants to eligible organizations of your choosing. A DAF allows you to be more strategic about your giving decisions while maximizing charitable tax benefits.
For donors who care about a variety of causes or places and want to be personally involved in philanthropy, a DAF is a smart, streamlined way to manage charitable giving. Your contributions can fund multiple organizations over time, and the assets can grow tax-free.
How It Works
You Recommend Grants — We Handle the Rest
- After you establish a DAF, we invest the fund and handle the administrative details.
- You suggest grants to support the causes and organizations you care about most within or even outside of Kalamazoo County.
- We verify the eligibility of the organizations you recommend and, upon approval, send them a grant payment along with a personalized grant letter noting your generosity — or your anonymity, if you prefer.
Fund Benefits
Why Donors Love DAFs at KZCF
Personalized Philanthropic Support
Every DAF holder has a primary point of contact at KZCF who can provide personalized assistance, advice for your philanthropic strategy and help keep you informed about your community. When you need someone on the other end of the telephone, or at the opposite end of the table, we are available.
Simplified Record Keeping
Your charitable giving is consolidated in a single place, making it easy to track your giving over time. It is easier and more cost-efficient than a private foundation.
Flexibility to Strategize
A DAF allows you to contribute now, receive an immediate tax benefit, and decide later how and when to support your favorite nonprofits or causes.
Kalamazoo Connect Portal
You can track details about your fund, access information online and make grant suggestions through Kalamazoo Connect, our 24/7 online donor portal.
Local Expertise for Your Grantmaking
We can recommend local organizations addressing the issues you care most about and facilitate your grantmaking to eligible nonprofits in Kalamazoo County or around the country.
Competitive Investment Returns
Your DAF is invested to grow. Compared to popular commercial DAF sponsors, KZCF offers excellent returns — meaning more money available for your grantmaking.
What It Takes to Open a DAF
Now that you know what makes a DAF such a powerful giving tool, let’s dive into the finer details so you can see all the options available to you.
Ready to open your DAF?
Decide to Stay Involved
Decide that you’d like to remain actively involved in your philanthropy by supporting specific organizations and causes.
Meet With Our Team
Meet with a PSD team member to align on a fund name, develop a succession plan, sign a letter of direction that defines the terms of the fund’s operation and make your initial gift to open the fund.
Start Recommending Grants
Once your fund is open and your minimum is reached, you can start suggesting grants to the organizations and causes you care most about.
Get a fund convo started — Kevin and our PSD team are ready to assist.
Explore Other Fund Types to Find Your Fit
A DAF offers the most hands-on control over your giving. If you would rather focus on a single cause or let KZCF handle the grantmaking, these options may work even better.
Discretionary Funds
Provide the most impact by allowing KZCF to address emerging community needs.
Field-of-Interest Funds
Support broad areas of need, such as education, the arts or community well-being.
Nonprofit Funds
Ensure lasting support for a specific nonprofit organization or educational or religious institutions.
Scholarship Funds
Invest in the future by supporting local students and learners of all ages.
Make a Gift That Keeps on Giving!
Contributions to KZCF ensure your gifts will continue to benefit our community forever. Help us make an impact that lasts for generations to come by giving a gift today.