A New Way to Support Our Mission

A donor advised fund (DAF) is like a charitable savings account. It can give you the ability to recommend how much and how often money is granted or gifted to Otterbein. And if you set a DAF up at Otterbein, you can also have it help other qualified charities. You can recommend a grant or recurring grants now to make an immediate impact or use your fund as a tool for future charitable gifts.

With an Otterbein donor advised fund, you can decide how you want your fund to work to help current or future Cardinals on campus. You can choose the Otterbein programs you want to support. What is great is that you can choose other eligible charities to support as well based on your interests and timing. Your Otterbein donor advised fund can potentially grow tax-free in one of the several investment options and be there to support your next philanthropic project when the time is best for you.

For those who have a DAF with another provider, you can reach out to us to connect, making it easier to have an impact at Otterbein.

How It Works:

1. Establish your donor advised fund with a gift of cash, appreciated stocks, bonds or other eligible marketable assets ($10,000 minimum gift). Receive an immediate charitable income tax deduction.
2. Grow your fund in one of the investment options. Your fund has the potential to grow based on your investment preferences. Assets are managed and administered through our partner, The Columbus Foundation, which gives you the option to invest in one of their approved Vanguard family of funds.
3. Distribute your fund by recommending grants to Otterbein and other desired charities accordingly, based on your timing and interests. At least 50 percent of the total gifts must be designated to Otterbein. The donor advised fund will make the grant payment, manage tax reporting and provide you with a tax receipt.

You can also create a lasting legacy by naming Otterbein as the beneficiary of the entire account or a percentage of the fund. With a percentage, you can create a family legacy of giving by naming your loved ones as your successors to continue recommending grants to charitable organizations.

Want more information about setting up a DAF at Otterbein?

Call us to learn more about how to discover the ease of opening a donor advised fund — plus the advantages you’ll enjoy once a DAF is created.

We have resources that we can share to walk you through the various options and help you to get the most out of a DAF, for you, your family, and Otterbein! For more information on creating a Donor Advised Fund, reach out to Kathleen Bonte at kbonte@otterbein.edu or (614) 823-2707.

An Example of How DAF’s Work:

John and Ruth want to give back to their alma mater by putting their money where it will do the most good. They establish a $25,000 Donor Advised Fund (DAF) with Otterbein University.

The couple receives a federal income tax charitable deduction for the amount of the gift. They also get the time they need to decide which charities to support.

After researching community needs, John and Ruth recommend grants for Otterbein, where they have been donors for years, and a local animal shelter. The Otterbein Columbus Foundation DAF presents the charities with checks from The Isabelle Fund, the DAF which John and Ruth named in honor of Ruth’s mother.

They also name Otterbein as the beneficiary to receive the account balance after their lifetimes. John and Ruth are delighted to continue this personal legacy of giving and reached out to Otterbein to make the university aware of their plans.