Demystifying Donor Advised Funds and Tapping into Them to Support Trails

Webinar Outline

What is the largest foundation in the world that you’ve probably never heard of? While most people have name recognition with national foundations like Rockefeller and Bill Gates Foundation, even those giants are dwarfed by the collective size of what’s known as DAF’s – Donor Advised Fund. A DAF is a charitable giving vehicle that allows donors to make contributions, receive immediate tax benefits, and then recommend grants to nonprofits over time, allowing individuals to act like mini-foundations. Across the U.S., DAFs hold $326 billion in assets, a number that continues to grow each year. This webinar will demystify DAFs and break down the basics: how they work, who is likely to have one, and what types of entities manage them. 

Most importantly, the webinar will provide action steps that trail builders and champions can implement immediately to:

1. Become well positioned to easily accept DAF contributions,
2. Effectively communicate to potential DAF donors, and
3. Skillfully manage DAF relationships to potentially solidify future investments.

The most important thing to remember is that behind every DAF is an actual person who cares deeply about something, including trails. They are out there, and this webinar will help you create connections and long-term collaborations.

Learning Objectives:

• Recognize the role of Donor Advised Funds in the philanthropic sector and how they can be used to support trails.
• Gain a baseline understanding of the technicalities of DAF's and the fundamentals on how they "work" within the world of nonprofits.
• Learn what steps a nonprofit should take to best position itself to accept DAFs and make the process convenient for donors.
• Brainstorm a communications strategy to identify DAF donors and promote the use of DAFs for trail support funds.
• Learn the best practices for "stewarding" DAF donors as a way to cultivate long-term donor relationships.

Trail Competencies

• Program Administration
• • Funding/Grants

Relevant Trail Types

General. All trail types are relevant.