Tiaa donor-advised fund
Managing your charitable giving just got simpler
The TIAA Donor-Advised Fund helps you maximize your impact and simplify giving: Receive an immediate tax deduction,1 grow your charitable dollars tax-free through investment, and support causes you care about.
Donor-advised fund overview
What is a donor-advised fund?
A donor-advised fund (DAF) works like a charitable investment account. You contribute cash, stock, or other assets, receive an immediate tax deduction,1 and then recommend grants to your favorite nonprofits over time.
With a TIAA DAF, everything stays under one roof.2 Your retirement, tax strategies, estate planning, and charitable giving are all managed by one advisor team through a fully integrated approach to growing and sharing your wealth. Your charitable dollars are invested in TIAA-endorsed portfolios designed to maximize your long-term philanthropic impact.
Why choose a tiaa daf
We handle the complexity so you can focus on making a difference
Modern, frictionless experience
An intuitive interface, automated transactions, access to 1.6M charities, and electronic grant delivery make giving intuitive and enjoyable.
Integrated with your broader wealth plan
Your charitable giving, retirement, tax strategies, and estate planning stay under one roof with one advisor team.
Trusted TIAA stewardship
Your charitable dollars are invested in TIAA-endorsed portfolios designed to enhance your long-term philanthropic impact.
Innovative giving capabilities
Charity gift cards and impact investing options allow for intentional, creative philanthropy.
Benefits of TIAA DAF
Consolidate your giving
If you give to multiple charities each year, a TIAA DAF consolidates all of your giving into one account with one tax receipt, making it easy to stay organized while supporting a wide range of causes.
Tax-smart timing
Set aside charitable dollars when it's most tax-advantaged, even if you're still deciding when and how much to give. A DAF enables you to capture an immediate tax deduction in high-income years through charitable bunching while setting aside funds to give thoughtfully over multiple years.
Give appreciated assets
If you own appreciated assets like stock, a DAF allows you to mitigate capital gains taxes while maximizing the amount available for charity without adding complexity to your financial life.
Invest tax-free
You can invest your TIAA DAF contributions in partnership with your advisor. Investment gains remain tax-free, increasing what you have available for charitable giving over time.
Create a legacy
Designate loved ones as successors to continue recommending grants to charitable organizations, or name charities as beneficiaries to receive all or part of your remaining DAF balance.
Might be right for you if you want to:
Handle large income spikes smartly
Capture tax deductions now and grant over time—ideal for bonuses or windfall income.
Streamline support for multiple charities
Support many organizations from one place: one donation, one receipt, grants your way.
Give appreciated assets
Donate appreciated stock and pay no capital gains, maximizing what goes to charity.
Create a family giving tradition
Involve kids in philanthropy by letting them help choose charities and build giving traditions.
Plan giving beyond your lifetime
Build a charitable legacy that continues after you’re gone—name successors or charitable beneficiaries.
How the tiaa daf works
Your complete charitable giving journey
Your TIAA advisor will discuss your charitable giving goals and help you determine if a donor-advised fund is right for you.
Plan
Your advisor will send you an invitation from Charityvest to enroll in the TIAA DAF Program via email. Complete setup and access your DAF through your existing TIAA account portal.
Donate
Contribute cash, stock, or other assets to your DAF and receive an immediate federal income tax charitable deduction in the year you contribute.1
Manage
View your balance, recommend grants to IRS-qualified public charities, and designate loved ones as successors to continue recommending grants or name charities as beneficiaries.
What people ask us
What is a donor-advised fund?
A donor-advised fund (DAF) works like a charitable investment account. You contribute cash, stock, or other assets, receive an immediate tax deduction,1 and then recommend grants to your favorite nonprofits over time.
With a TIAA DAF, everything stays under one roof.² Your retirement, tax strategies, estate planning, and charitable giving are all managed by one advisor team through a fully integrated approach to growing and sharing your wealth. Your charitable dollars are invested in TIAA-endorsed portfolios designed to maximize your long-term philanthropic impact.
Are DAFs tax deductible? 1
Yes, contributions to a DAF are tax-deductible charitable gifts. A TIAA DAF offers potential tax advantages. You receive an immediate federal income tax charitable deduction in the year you contribute, not when the TIAA DAF makes grants, which means you can recommend grants to charities over time while having already secured your tax benefit.
If you donate appreciated assets like stock, you mitigate paying capital gains tax while claiming a deduction for the full market value. Any investment earnings on contributions grow tax-free while invested in your DAF. This strategy allows you to align your charitable giving with your overall tax planning and financial goals.
Can you make a qualified charity distribution (QCD) to a DAF?
No. DAFs, including those held under the TIAA DAF program, are not eligible to receive QCDs. Any contribution from an IRA to a DAF will be considered part of your annual taxable IRA distributions.
Can a DAF give to a private foundation?
No. IRS rules prohibit DAFs from making grants to private foundations. However, the relationship can work in reverse: Your private foundation can contribute to a DAF as a complementary giving strategy. This approach allows your foundation to meet minimum distribution requirements while maintaining flexibility in grantmaking timing.
What are the fees for a TIAA DAF?
There are two types of fees for your TIAA DAF account: an administrative fee and an investment advisory fee. The administrative fee, starting at 45 bps, covers the cost to operate the DAF platform. The investment advisory fee of 60 bps enables us to furnish investment portfolios for your DAF account. Your advisor will walk you through the complete fee structure when you set up your account.
Are there minimums for the TIAA DAF program?
The TIAA DAF program is designed to be accessible and transparent. The minimum contribution to your fund is $15 and the minimum grant to a charity is $15.
Your TIAA advisor can help you select from available investment options regardless of account size and will walk you through the fee structure when you set up your account. Because your existing TIAA advisor team has visibility into your TIAA DAF, your charitable giving integrates seamlessly with your comprehensive wealth plan without the complexity of navigating separate providers.
What can I contribute?
You have flexibility in how you give, with options including:
- Cash and checks
- Publicly traded securities
- Cryptocurrency
- Mutual funds
- Real estate
- Private equity and business interests
- Appreciated stock
- Tax-advantaged assets
- Other asset types, as determined by Charityvest2
Need more information?
Schedule a complimentary meeting with one of our team members or consultants to answer all your questions and advise on next steps.
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1 Contributions to a donor-advised fund are irrevocable. Tax deductibility depends on whether you itemize deductions and other individual factors. Consult your tax advisor for guidance specific to your situation.
2 Additional asset types may become eligible for contribution as program capabilities expand. Other asset types, as determined by Charityvest.
The TIAA DAF Program is offered in partnership with DAF sponsor, Charityvest, Inc. Contributions to the TIAA DAF are irrevocable, tax-deductible gifts to Charityvest, a 501(c)(3) public charity. A donor-advised fund is a separately identified account that is maintained and operated by a section 501(c)(3) organization and is not a registered investment company.
TIAA and TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC are not affiliated with Charityvest. Charityvest is an independent 501(c)(3) organization, not controlled by TIAA. Under an agreement with Charityvest, TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC receives advisory fees for providing investment advice to donor advised funds sponsored by Charityvest. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC also receives fees related to any investments in Nuveen Funds. Contributions and donations to Charityvest Donor Advised Fund Accounts are irrevocable and subject to Charityvest Terms & Conditions. TIAA and TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC do not provide legal or tax advice. Consult a qualified tax advisor or attorney for specific tax or legal advice. All contributions to a donor-advised fund are irrevocable.
Wealth Management is a division of Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America (TIAA), which offers investment products and services through TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC, a registered broker-dealer and investment adviser, member FINRA and SIPC.