Donor-Advised Funds
Billions sit in donor-advised funds — including funds administered right here in Indiana — but there is no application form. Funding moves when a donor or their advisor recommends a grant to your organization. Here's who decides, and exactly how to become the nonprofit they recommend.
The sponsor administers the fund and handles compliance — but the donor or their advisor chooses every grant. Your strategy is donor relationships, not applications.
Indianapolis, IN
One of the country's largest independent DAF sponsors — headquartered in Indianapolis. Administers giving funds offered through many financial advisors.
Who decides: The donor (or their financial advisor) recommends grants; RCF reviews and distributes.
Official site →All 92 counties
Nearly every Indiana community foundation sponsors local donor-advised funds. The same foundation you can apply to directly also holds DAF money local donors direct.
Who decides: Local fund holders recommend grants; the community foundation distributes.
Browse on MANNA →National (Indiana office)
The largest Christian DAF sponsor — giving funds used heavily by faith-motivated donors and business owners.
Who decides: Donors and families recommend grants from their Giving Fund.
Official site →National
The largest DAF sponsor in the U.S. Donors find charities inside the platform — visibility depends on your public nonprofit profile.
Who decides: Account holders recommend grants through the donor portal.
Official site →National
Major brokerage-affiliated sponsor; grants flow when clients direct their advisor or use the portal.
Who decides: Donors and their advisors recommend grants.
Official site →National
Large low-cost sponsor favored by long-term investors and family funds.
Who decides: Account advisors (the donors) recommend grants.
Official site →Do these once and every DAF channel — local or national — can fund you.
Be a 501(c)(3) public charity in good standing (churches qualify). Grants cannot fulfill pledges or provide donor benefits.
Most DAF portals pull nonprofit data from Candid (GuideStar). Claim your free profile, add your mission, programs, leadership, and financials, and earn a transparency Seal — this is how donors find you inside Fidelity, Schwab, and Vanguard.
List your legal name, EIN, and mailing address so a donor can recommend a grant in two minutes. Many nonprofits also add a DAF widget or simple instructions.
DAF donors think in chunks: $1,000 / $5,000 / $10,000 / $25,000. Tie each level to a concrete outcome so an advisor can relay it.
Your DAF prospects are donors you already know: business owners, retirees with appreciated stock, families who tithe generously, plus their financial advisors, CPAs, and estate attorneys.
“Would you consider recommending a grant to us from your giving fund?” Then steward it: thank-you, impact report, and an update next year — DAF gifts repeat.
Sponsor descriptions link to each organization's official site. MANNA flags DAF channels honestly — you'll never see an “Apply Now” button on a donor-advised fund here.
Your funder match
Build your MANNA profile and the platform will flag which funders are donor-advised channels, which take real applications, and exactly what to prepare for each.