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 sponsoring organization, 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 long-term 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.

• Your U.S. mailing address
• Your date of birth
• Contact information for each person listed on the account

• Saves Heifer staff time and resources tracking your gift
• Makes us immediately aware that your gift was initiated
• Helps avoid lost checks, mailing delays, or gifts accidentally being submitted to the wrong organization

Yes, Heifer is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization and donations to Heifer – made directly or through DAF – are tax-deductible.

When you contribute cash, securities, or other assets to a donor-advised fund, you are generally eligible to take an immediate tax deduction. Then those funds can be invested for tax-free growth, and you can recommend grants to any eligible IRS-qualified public charity.

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 sponsor manages the funds, your tax deduction occurs when you initially fund the DAF account. You will receive the official tax receipt from your DAF sponsor.

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 official year-end statement or grant confirmations for your tax purposes rather than Heifer’s acknowledgment.

The ability to give a monthly gift to Heifer via a Donor-Advised Fund is not currently available. Give monthly to Heifer through one of our other payment options.