Donor advised funds

Recommending a gift to the University of Washington through your donor advised fund (DAF) is simple. You can donate directly to the University of Washington Foundation by providing the following information to the sponsoring organization of your fund.

Each organization will have the appropriate forms to complete these donations, which you can usually access through an online portal or working with your fund adviser. Your sponsoring organization can then complete the transaction to distribute funds to the University of Washington Foundation.

Information to Make a Donor Advised Fund Gift

Legal Name: University of Washington Foundation
UW Foundation Federal Tax ID: 94-3079432
Mailing Address: 4333 Brooklyn Ave. N.E. Box 359505 | Seattle, WA 98195-9505
Name of the fund where your gift should be directed and description of the purpose. You can browse through funds* here.
*Be sure to specify the desired amount of your gift as well.

If you have questions about the information you need to provide to the sponsoring organization of your donor advised fund, please call us at 1-877-UW-GIFTS.

What is a Donor Advised Fund?

Donor Advised Fund (or DAF) giving has become more popular for individuals and families that want to benefit multiple charities throughout the year and for extended periods of time.

A DAF is a separately managed fund that is maintained and operated by a sponsoring organization, such as the Seattle Foundation, Fidelity, or Schwab. Once a donor establishes a DAF, that individual and/or a representative retains advisory privileges with respect to investment allocations and distributions to various charities.

In addition to offering ease of administration, a donor-advised fund offers the opportunity to create a low-cost, flexible way to diversify your philanthropy without the expense of creating a private foundation.

What are the restrictions on recommending a DAF distribution?

A DAF distribution is subject to IRS charitable contribution restrictions. A recommendation for a distribution from a DAF will likely not be approved by the sponsoring organization if any portion of the gift will be used to provide more than incidental benefits. For instance, DAF gifts cannot be used to pay for tickets to a fundraising event, gala dinner, or golf tournament.