With a donor-advised fund (DAF), you can make a gift now, receive a current income tax deduction, and retain the flexibility to recommend gifts later when the time is right.
You may find that using a DAF provides a simple, meaningful way to benefit the Fremont Area Community Foundation and other charities you support. Consider the following:
- You establish a DAF with a single donation and can make additional donations later if you wish. Most DAFs will accept assets beyond cash and securities, sometimes including real estate, cryptocurrency, or closely held stock.
- The donor-advised fund then owns those assets and administers the fund—you no longer need to manage the money.
- This arrangement allows you to qualify for an immediate charitable income tax deduction for the amount contributed to the DAF, even though the money hasn’t been distributed to charity yet.
You have advisory privileges, meaning that at some point in the future, you can recommend (but not require) gifts to be distributed to specific charities.
Don’t overlook succession planning for your DAF.
It’s important to ensure that the money you set aside for charitable giving supports those charities that are meaningful to you and your loved ones. Check to see if your DAF allows you to name your spouse, child, or another person as a successor advisor after you pass or designate a qualified charity to receive final grant distributions of any remaining assets.
Evaluate the fit.
Donor-advised funds may be a particularly good option to consider if you:
- Want to make a large, tax-deductible contribution this year to offset increased income
- Haven’t yet fully established your charitable goals, so would like flexibility in making future gifts
- Would find it beneficial to segment your charitable funds from your other assets
- Would like to donate a more complex non-cash asset that your intended charitable recipient(s) cannot accept
See how it works.
Five years ago, Steve earned a significant year-end bonus. He knew he wanted to use that money for a charitable purpose, but he wasn’t yet sure where he wanted to have an impact, and he had little time to decide. He chose to donate the full amount to a DAF, which ensured an immediate and much-needed charitable income tax deduction. The DAF invested the assets and retained ultimate authority over any distributions.
Three years ago, Steve’s nephew received a scholarship through the Fremont Area Community Foundation. Steve was impressed with what he learned about our organization and what we do for the community. This year, Steve uses his advisory privileges to recommend a grant from the DAF to the Fremont Area Community Foundation. The DAF distributes the recommended gift to us (they are not obligated to do so, but in most cases, they will follow Steve’s recommendations).

Consider your timing.
If you want to qualify for a charitable deduction this year, you should initiate your gift by Friday, December 12, 2025.
We can help.
We can provide you with more information about donor-advised funds and grants to the Fremont Area Community Foundation.
To learn more about making a gift to the Fremont Area Community Foundation, please contact Melissa Diers at 402-721-4252 or mdiers@facfoundation.org.

“Our donor-advised fund allows us to leverage our community outreach with the local expertise of the Fremont Area Community Foundation, enabling Valmont Industries to fulfill its philanthropic aspirations in a very efficient but impactful way.”
—Rob Maglinger, Director, Omaha Operations & Community Relations, Valmont Industries

“We created a donor-advised fund for our family because we definitely support this community and want to see dollars going back to meet its needs. What we hoped to achieve with our donor-advised is to become more impactful with the dollars we give, make a difference in the lives of others, and also create a vehicle through which our family can get engaged and learn about charitable giving and how to put dollars to work that can have a lasting impact.”
—Russ and Jennifer Peterson

“I would encourage people to look into a donor-advised fund at the foundation. Before we established ours, we thought it was for only large donations, but it’s not. You can use your fund to make gifts of all sizes—large and small—to support charitable efforts year-round.”
—Koni and Les Shallberg