Donor-advised funds and nonprofits collaborate on a widget to simplify charitable giving

BOSTON, April 9, 2013 — A collaboration between donor-advised fund sponsors and nonprofit organizations, led by Fidelity Charitable, has created a new web application (widget) that helps nonprofit organizations simplify charitable giving and tap into the growing popularity of donor-advised funds (DAFs). The DAF Direct widget is the first technology that enables donors to initiate a grant recommendation from their charitable account with their donor-advised fund sponsor while on a nonprofit's website.

Throughout the development of the DAF Direct widget, 10 nonprofit organizations and other sponsors of donor-advised funds worked with Fidelity Charitable, an independent public charity with a donor-advised fund program, to develop the concept and improve the technology. As a result of this collaboration, the widget is already connected to Schwab Charitable, in addition to Fidelity Charitable, and is in use on the websites of the 10 participating nonprofits: American Red Cross; Boston Symphony Orchestra; Charity Navigator; Cradles to Crayons; Feeding America; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Pan-Massachusetts Challenge; Save the Children; and WGBH.

Sarah Libbey, president of Fidelity Charitable, said, “Today's donors are taking a more strategic approach to philanthropy and, at the same time, looking for simplicity and convenience in how, when and where they give. This has led to an increase in both online giving and the use of donor-advised funds. The DAF Direct widget connects these two movements to offer donors an additional and convenient giving option. It also allows nonprofits to provide a simple, seamless granting experience for the growing number of donors who use a donor-advised fund.”

Ken Berger, president and chief executive officer of Charity Navigator, said: “From years of feedback from our users and research in the field, we know that donors want tools to help them online that are quick and easy to access, easy to understand and free. They also prefer to have every dollar donated online going directly to the charity and not to transaction fees. The DAF Direct widget meets all these donor requirements. This is truly a gift to the philanthropic community and will assist us all in getting more help to the people and communities we care about.”

Kim Laughton, president of Schwab Charitable, said: “We're thrilled to be part of this initiative to link donors to two important online resources that help them connect with and support their favorite causes — nonprofit websites and their donor-advised fund accounts.”

The widget is now available for all qualified nonprofits to add to their websites and there are plans to expand to other national and community foundation donor-advised fund sponsors to increase the reach and value of the technology for donors and nonprofits.

Nonprofits interested in adding the DAF Direct widget to their site can learn more at www.dafdirect.org.

About Fidelity Charitable

Fidelity Charitable is an independent public charity that has helped donors support more than 160,000 nonprofit organizations with over $14 billion in grants. Established in 1991, Fidelity Charitable launched the first national donor-advised fund program. The mission of the organization is to further the American tradition of philanthropy by providing programs that make charitable giving simple and effective.

Fidelity Charitable is the brand name for the Fidelity® Charitable Gift Fund, an independent public charity with a donor-advised fund program. Various Fidelity companies provide services to Fidelity Charitable. The Fidelity Charitable name and logo are service marks, and Fidelity is a registered service mark, of FMR LLC, used by Fidelity Charitable under license. Third party marks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.

Information provided is general and educational in nature, and should not be construed as legal or tax advice. Fidelity Charitable does not provide legal or tax advice. Content provided relates to taxation at the federal level only, and availability of certain federal income tax deductions may depend on whether you itemize deductions. Rules and regulations regarding tax deductions for charitable giving vary at the state level, and laws of a specific state or laws relevant to a particular situation may affect the applicability, accuracy or completeness of the information provided. Charitable contributions of capital gain property held for more than one year are usually deductible at fair market value. Deductions for capital gain property held for one year or less are usually limited to cost basis. Consult an attorney or tax advisor regarding your specific legal or tax situation.