Save lives with your donor-advised fund
You have the power to change the lives of homeless pets, and giving through a donor-advised fund makes that easier, tax smart, and more impactful than ever.
When you give to Best Friends, you support lifesaving programs across the U.S. and help keep pets where they belong: in homes with the people who love them.
Have an existing DAF? Now is the perfect time to give because your gift will be matched dollar for dollar through 2026.
What is a donor-advised fund and how can it help homeless pets?
A donor-advised fund is a bit like a treat jar. You contribute money, stocks, cryptocurrency, or other appreciated assets and dispense them to Best Friends anytime.
With a donor-advised fund, you can add money to your DAF account and make donations to charitable organizations as often as you wish, giving you control over the timing of your donor-advised fund donations and your lifesaving legacy. Designating Best Friends or a family member as your DAF beneficiary is a meaningful way to extend your family's commitment to the causes you love.
By making a charitable contribution (whether cash, securities, or other non-cash assets) to a DAF, you’re eligible for an immediate income tax deduction. And from there, you can enjoy tax-free growth on your investments, enabling your generosity to grow over time.
Giving from your DAF is easy. Simply make a charitable contribution, receive an immediate income-tax deduction, and distribute grants from the fund to your chosen charities whenever and however you decide. Donor-advised funds are the perfect solution to maximize your charitable impact and make a lasting difference for dogs and cats in need.
Here's how to set up a DAF:
You can open your fund by contacting your financial advisor or directly with one of hundreds of DAF providers, such as Fidelity Charitable, Raymond James, DAFGiving360 (formerly Schwab Charitable), Vanguard, and more.
You can contribute to the fund when it makes sense for you. You’ll get a tax deduction right away, even if you choose to recommend gifts to charities at a later time. This lets you decide when to donate without worrying about timing your taxes.
You can request the transfer via EFT (preferred) or check and even set up monthly or annual recurring gifts. You can also use DAFpay through our website to make your gift in as little as three clicks.
Enjoy the tax benefits of donor-advised funds — and help dogs and cats across the nation
A donor-advised fund is an easy way to make charitable giving a vital part of your lasting legacy.
Giving to Best Friends from donor-advised funds means you can avoid the administrative and legal burdens of forming a private foundation while also providing lifesaving care to homeless pets. Plus, it’s a completely tax-deductible way to give. That’s a win for both you and the animals!
What’s the easiest way to give to Best Friends?
Giving to the animals of Best Friends online is easy, secure, and tax efficient. And right now, your DAF gift is matched dollar for dollar up to $500,000, which means twice the lifesaving impact.
What kind of donor-advised fund tax deduction will I receive?
Your DAF contributions will qualify for an immediate tax deduction in the year you contribute, even if you distribute the funds to charities years later. An immediate tax deduction gives you the flexibility to maximize tax benefits and allocate funds to charitable causes exactly how and when you like.
What are some potential tax advantages of a DAF
When you give through a DAF, you receive a significant tax benefit. Your contributions can also be invested within the fund, and any growth of your fund is completely tax free, meaning you’ll have even more funds available to support the causes you care about.
If you donate stock you’ve held for more than a year, you may also be able to avoid paying capital gains taxes on the increase in value and receive a deduction for the full fair market value. And because you can support multiple charities from one DAF account, you’ll receive a single, consolidated tax receipt — making recordkeeping simple and organized. As always, it’s a good idea to consult your tax advisor to understand how these benefits apply to your individual situation.
How do donor-advised fund fees work?
Donor-advised fund sponsors typically charge two donor-advised fund fees: an administrative fee (0.6% to 1.5% of your balance) covering transaction processing and support and an investment management fee (0.4% to 1%) based on your chosen funds. Combined, expect total annual DAF fees between 1% and 2.5%, varying by sponsoring organization and investment strategy.
Donor-advised fund sponsors handle all vetting, disbursements, and tax documentation. You simply recommend which charities receive grants.
Commonly asked questions about donor-advised funds
What is a donor-advised fund?
A donor-advised fund is a charitable giving account you set up with a sponsoring organization. First, you make an irrevocable contribution. Then, you’ll receive an immediate tax deduction. And after that, you can make grant recommendations to qualified 501(c)(3) charities, such as Best Friends Animal Society.
How do I give through a donor-advised fund?
If you already have a DAF, you can recommend a grant to Best Friends either through your fund administrator or to us directly via our online partner grant recommendation tool, DAFpay.
What are the benefits of donor-advised funds?
It simplifies giving. It may sound complicated or confusing at first, but don’t worry! Your fund administrator will handle all paperwork, recordkeeping, and tax receipts.
A DAF allows flexible giving. With a DAF, you have the power to choose when and where to disburse grants and make contributions, which means you can receive a tax deduction when it fits your schedule.
It’s tax efficient. All contributions to your DAF are tax deductible, meaning any investment growth is federally tax free. It also means you can avoid capital gains tax when you donate assets like appreciated securities.
You’ll create a legacy of kindness. By choosing Best Friends as your DAF beneficiary, you ensure your philanthropic vision will continue well into the future, providing love, comfort, and second chances to homeless pets across the nation.
What is Best Friends’ tax ID, legal name, and address?
Legal name: Best Friends Animal Society
Address: 5001 Angel Canyon Road, Kanab, UT 84741
Tax ID #: 23-7147797
Best Friends Animal Society is a 501(c)(3) registered nonprofit.
Email: dafs@bestfriends.org
How do I ensure my DAF gift is acknowledged?
When recommending a grant, we encourage you to use the DAFpay feature on our website, which ensures immediate gift delivery in just three simple clicks.
If you prefer to go directly to your DAF sponsoring organization, please be sure to include your full name, fund name, contact information, and if available your donor ID/account number when submitting your grant.
Additionally, you can let us know about your gift by filling out this form or sending a quick email to dafs@bestfriends.org. We’d love to say thank you and chat about your giving plans.
Can I use my DAF to pay for event tickets, tables, or sponsorships?
According to IRS regulations and DAF sponsor policies, DAF donations cannot be used, either in whole or in part, to pay for fundraising events, tickets, tables, sponsorships, or anything that provides more than an incidental benefit to the donor. Additionally, if it includes goods or services that are not fully tax deductible (such as meals, entertainment, or sponsorships that include recognition with promotional value), it cannot be used either.
If you have questions or would like help ensuring your gift is eligible, feel free to contact us at dafs@bestfriends.org.
What can my donor-advised funds be used for?
Donor-advised funds can be used to recommend grants to qualified 501(c)(3) public charities, such as Best Friends.
However, DAFs cannot be used for any contribution that provides more than an incidental benefit to you, the donor. This means they cannot pay for fundraising events, tickets, tables, sponsorships, or any gift that includes goods, services, or promotional value that is not fully tax deductible under IRS regulations and DAF sponsor policies.
If you’re unsure whether a particular gift is eligible, our team is happy to help. Reach out to a member of our team at dafs@bestfriends.org.
Giving made smarter
Best Friends supporters share why using a donor-advised fund (DAF) makes it easier — and more impactful — to help homeless pets.
With my DAF, I can easily donate appreciated stock and skip the capital gains tax, so Best Friends receives more, and my dollars go further.
After a lifetime of saving, I realized I wanted to see the impact of my giving — not years from now, but today. My DAF became the bridge between my intentions and real change.
I use my donor-advised fund because the animals need help now — and the gift is already committed to charity. It’s simple, immediate, and impactful.
How to make a DAF gift and double your impact
Double your lifesaving impact with a gift from your donor-advised fund today. Thanks to a generous group of donors, every DAF gift will be matched up to $500,000 throughout 2026.
Partners in lifesaving
The animals are incredibly grateful for your support today — and we are, too. Please know that your gift goes straight to work providing lifesaving care and life-changing opportunities to homeless pets around the country.
We’re here to help
If you have questions about donor-advised fund gifts, please contact a member of the Best Friends donor services team at 435‑352‑6295 or dafs@bestfriends.org.
Got a question about a recent donation or a gift you’re planning to make? Go here to get answers, renew your membership, manage your gift, update your contact information, and more:
Download our DAF giving guide (PDF)
Contact donor services
Log in to your member center
Transparency, accountability, and trust
At Best Friends, we aim for transparency and authenticity — two of our guiding principles — in every aspect of the work we do. And because we not only depend on but trust our family of supporters, we are committed to open, two-way communication and to financial transparency across the organization.
