By Michelle Lovely, Senior Vice President, Development and Donor Services
Looking across the charitable landscape, donor-advised funds continue to be a popular option among charitable individuals. Many national investment firms have their own charitable entity and some have branched out to offer branded DAFs. As a professional advisor, you should, however, be aware of the advantages of working with your local community foundation as opposed to a national firm.
Here are five reasons why establishing a DAF through The Dayton Foundation can benefit both you and your clients.
1.) We help your clients realize their charitable dreams – their way. From DAFs that allow your clients to invest funds to support their favorite charities far into the future, to free DAF services that require no minimum balance and low minimum grants, we offer customizable charitable solutions that many national firms don’t provide for their fund holders. In addition to our multiple DAF offerings, your clients may establish Scholarship, Designated, Community Impact (unrestricted to address a broad range of local needs) or Field-of-Interest funds through The Dayton Foundation. These are just a few of the charitable giving services we offer that aren’t available through national competitors.
2.) You communicate with a live, local person. You and your clients have access to dedicated Dayton Foundation experts, who are readily available via phone or email to answer your questions. In an age when many companies rely on automated or AI services, our fund holders, advisor partners and other constituents find this highly personalized service invaluable.
3.) You are investing in the local community. Investing locally is one of the most significant reasons why donors, financial advisors and estate-planning attorneys (including some who may work for firms that offer their own DAFs) choose to establish funds through The Dayton Foundation. Our community investment fee stays local and supports Foundation leadership initiatives focused on improving the quality of life for Greater Dayton residents, unlike fees charged by national firms that fund the agenda of a publicly traded company or nonprofit. This benefit was most evident in 2019 and 2020 when we quickly convened regional partners to establish charitable funds that raised a combined total of $9 million to assist victims and rebuild communities following Greater Dayton’s Memorial Day tornadoes, the Oregon District tragedy and the COVID-19 pandemic.
4.) We connect you with causes important to you. Our team of experts lives and works within the region we serve and is deeply committed to helping Greater Dayton thrive. As the region’s oldest and largest grant-awarding foundation, we understand the critical work being done by our region’s nonprofits and can connect your clients with causes and nonprofit organizations that align with their charitable goals.
5.) We keep you – your clients’ trusted advisor - “in the loop.” The Dayton Foundation understands your needs, as well as the needs of your clients. Financial advisors and estate-planning attorneys regularly tell us that our development staff is an extension of their team. We are available to meet with you and your clients at a time and location of your choosing. We also keep you engaged with clients you have referred to us, including potentially retaining management of the assets in their charitable funds.
When you work with The Dayton Foundation, you can provide value-added services to your clients, many of whom give to effect change in the local causes and organizations that matter most to them. Learn how we can help you help your clients “be the change” in Greater Dayton and beyond at daytonfoundation.org/types-of-funds or contact me, Nakia Lipscomb or Marianne Requarth at (937) 222-0410.