5D | Getting to the Bottom of Donor Advised Funds

Thursday, Sept 22
10:30 - 11:30 AM

Sector
Suitable for all audiences

Experience Level
Suitable for all levels

Shop Size
Suitable for any size shop

Donors are increasingly giving to our institutions through donor advised funds, organizations like Fidelity and Schwab Charitable, or community foundations. These funds are an attractive and convenient option for our donors, but they aren't always the smoothest giving experience at our institutions. Is your organization prepared to accept and steward these gifts? 

In this session, we'll cover the basics of donor advised funds, what you should consider as you accept gifts from these organizations and best practices for stewarding donors who give to your organization this way. 

Over the past year, Zanne and Emily have delved deeply into the topic of donor advised funds: trends in these gifts nationwide, how the University of Washington (UW) accepts and stewards these gifts, as well as identified pain points (and recommended solutions) for various roadblocks within the UW process. Using the UW as a case study, they'd like to share what they've learned to highlight how gifts like these can be accepted and acknowledged gracefully, and even be used as a flag for further engagement of these special donors. 

Emily Fondaw

Zanne Gerrard and Emily Fondaw work in Donor Relations at the University of Washington, and together represent over 7 years of experience in donor relations. Emily is Assistant Director of Lifetime Giving Programs on the UW Donor Relations team, charged with recognition and engagement of the University's most generous donors. She has previously worked on endowment reporting, annual giving donor recognition, and supporting fundraisers in their efforts to steward donors across campus.

Zanne Gerrard

Zanne is Assistant Director for Donor Relations and Stewardship for the College of the Environment and oversees stewardship activities for the College, including donor acknowledgments, major gift and grant stewardship, and endowment tracking and reporting.