A way for wealthy people to circumvent the system.
“DAFs” usually refers to Donor-Advised Funds in a financial or nonprofit context.
A donor-advised fund (DAF) is a charitable giving account set up through a sponsoring organization—often a large financial firm or nonprofit—such as Fidelity Investments, Charles Schwab, or National Philanthropic Trust.
Here’s how they work in simple terms:
- You contribute money (or assets like stocks) into the fund.
- You get an immediate tax deduction for that contribution.
- The money is invested and can grow tax-free.
- Over time, you “advise” the fund on which charities should receive grants.
They’re popular because they’re flexible—you can take the tax benefit now and decide later where to donate.
Example:
Someone might contribute $50,000 to a DAF this year (getting the tax break now), then distribute that money to different charities over several years.
Supposedly it’s similar to how an HSA (money is supposed to be used on healthcare but they don’t make you validate) - you’re supposed to use the money for charity but they don’t really check.