A donor-advised fund, or DAF, is like a charitable investment account that a donor opens for the sole purpose of supporting charitable organizations.

As soon as you make a charitable contribution to your donor-advised fund, you may be eligible for an immediate tax deduction. Some types of donations – like cash or long-term appreciated assets – can make you eligible for additional benefits.

If you have an account with a DAF provider, you can make a grant recommendation with 3 clicks:

1. Click on the blue DAFpay button in the donation form above
2. Select your DAF provider
3. Log in with your existing DAF credentials to complete your donation

Your donor-advised fund is designed for intentional giving. Heifer is designed for lasting impact.

Heifer partners with farmers and communities to build sustainable food systems that improve incomes, nutrition, and resilience. Because our work focuses on sustainable economic development rather than one-time aid, many donors choose to support Heifer through their donor-advised fund as part of their long-term philanthropic strategy.

1. Choose a DAF provider and create an account.
2. Contribute money or other assets to your DAF.
3. Receive an acknowledgement of your contribution from your DAF provider – this is the official confirmation you will use for your taxes.
4. Sign in to your DAF account and recommend grants. To sign in from this page, click the “DAFpay | Donor Advised Fund” button, select your provider from the list, sign in with your account credentials, set your donation amount, and hit Donate.
5. Your DAF provider will review your grant recommendation.
6. After approval, the sponsor – not you personally – sends the grant to Heifer.

DAF accounts can have minimums, but requirements vary depending on your provider.

Initiating your grant on this page is the fastest and easiest way for you to give. And it:

1. Enables you to recommend a grant in 3 clicks
2. Saves administrative costs
3. Makes us immediately aware of your grant – allowing us to thank you promptly, without waiting for a DAF provider’s administrative processes

Yes, when you contribute to a donor-advised fund, you are generally able to take an immediate tax deduction. The acknowledgement of your contribution from your DAF provider is the official confirmation you will use for your taxes.

When you contribute to a DAF, you are eligible for a tax deduction in the year you make the contribution, regardless of when a charity receives the funds.

After you recommend a grant from your DAF to Heifer, you will receive a note of appreciation from Heifer – but that note is not your official tax receipt and you should not use it to claim an additional deduction.

Donor-advised funds are one of the most tax-advantageous ways to give to charity.

Yes, getting your tax receipt for a donor-advised fund (DAF) differs from a direct donation.

• Direct Donations: You receive your tax receipt directly from Heifer International, and you use that receipt to claim your deduction for that tax year.
• DAF Donations: Because the DAF provider manages the funds, your tax deduction occurs when you initially fund the DAF account. You will receive the official tax receipt from your DAF provider.

We’ll send you a note of appreciation once we receive your gift – however, that note is not your official tax receipt and you should not use it to claim an additional deduction.

For example, if you hold your DAF at a provider like Fidelity Charitable, you will use their contribution confirmation for your tax purposes rather than Heifer’s acknowledgment.

You cannot currently use this page to give a monthly gift to Heifer via a donor-advised fund.

You can give monthly to Heifer through one of our other payment options or log into your DAF website to make a monthly recommendation.