The service fees are simple and low. Base fees are:

$50 One Time - Onboarding / Account Set Up

$50 Monthly - Account Administration - Any Account Size

$50 Per Grant Request - No Grant Minimum - No Grants are Required

Note: Advisor Fees and Investment Fees are Separate and Independent from Innovative Donor Advised Funds

See the Simple Prices page for additional details

Yes. Innovate Donor Advised Funds is an IRS approved 501(c )(3) Public Tax-Exempt Non-Profit. EIN: 99-4321241

You can request grants distributable to any United States 501(c )(3) Non-Profit in good standing.

Grants can not be made to political organizations, or organizations that benefit the donor or the donors direct family.

Innovative Donor Advised Funds retains the right to decline a grant request if it violates these terms.

Typically yes. You will need to confirm the deductibility of your contribution with a tax professional based on your individual circumstances. IDAF does not provide tax advice.

You receive the tax deduction when the account receives contributions from you. The processing of grants does not create a tax-deductible transaction.

Contribution confirmations will be sent to you when IDAF receives the funds.

You are not taxed on the growth / interest / dividends in your account.

No. Innovative does not have a minimum number of grant requests.

Innovative does not have minimum account balance requirements. However, the services fees are billed to the account and the account will be closed if the balance is zero for longer than one year.

There is no minimum or maximum number of grant requests.

The processing fee of $50 is per grant request. The grant will not be processed if the account does not have enough funds to cover the service fee.

Grants are not automatically approved. Requests go through a multi-step process to confirm that it conforms to the guidelines, is a valid non-profit and in good standing with the IRS, and is available for mail delivery and verbal confirmation.

Grants are typically processed within 7-10 business days. Expedited processing and delivery can be requested.

• Money paid by check, ACH, or wire

• Tradeable securities

  • ACAT, NON-ACAT, or DTC transfers. No physical certificates

• Jewelry, Collectibles, and Art

  • Certified appraisal required, and items will be liquidated at auction or private sale

• Life insurance proceeds

• Annuity proceeds

• Real Estate

  • Certified appraisal required and will be sold using third-party real estate professionals

• Digital Currency

Approved investments:
• Cash, individual bonds, individual stocks, mutual funds and ETFs
• Professionally managed portfolios are monitored and continuously aligned with the Investment Policy Statement and Portfolio Design Guidance agreed to by the donor and IDAF
• Innovative Donor Advised Funds (IDAF) reserves the right to determine whether an account should be further diversified. All accounts are subject to the Prohibited Investments and Transactions terms
• The investment allocation target and/or portfolio design will need to be sent to Innovative Donor Advised Funds if requested

PROHIBITED INVESTMENTS AND TRANSACTIONS

The following investments and transactions are prohibited unless otherwise approved by the Trustees:

• Real estate, except as held in a diversified REIT, ETF or mutual fund position
• Closely held entities (i.e., Limited Liability Company, Limited Partnerships, General Partnerships, S Corporations)
• Oil and gas interests
• Non-publicly traded structured products
• Futures, warrants or other leveraged investment strategies that employ derivatives, synthetics or forward contracts
• Promissory notes and mortgages
• Annuities
• Life insurance
• Options
• Alternative investments
• Master limited partnerships (MLPs) that generate unrelated business income tax (UBIT) for tax-exempt investors (generally indicated by the issuance of Form K-1); MLPs that provide 1099 reporting are usually acceptable
• Any other types of investments that may generate unrelated business income tax (UBIT)
• Debt-financed or leveraged investments
• Investments in a participating advisor’s or affiliate’s own stock or debt and investments in for-profit companies
for the purpose of exercising control or management
• Any other types of investments that the Trustees may deem unsuitable or inappropriate

IDAF currently uses Charles Schwab as the custodian. Additional custodians will be added in 2026.

Donations that are not tradable securities or cash will be liquidated and the net proceeds will be deposited into the donors.

Bitcoin will be held at Coinbase.

Yes. The donor can have view only access to the account for real time account information. The donor can also request to have paper statements sent directly from the custodian.

Yes. The financial advisor can manage the investment management and can work with you on developing a charitable giving strategy. Trades are typically handled by the advisor directly through their firm level access to the account. If they do not have access through the custodian, they can submit trading instructions to IDAF and we will process them on their behalf.

The financial advisor and/or authorized third party can not change the donors contact information.

No. You do not have to have a financial advisor or authorized third party assigned to your account. IDAF does not provide investment or tax services.

Investments will still need to meet the investment terms and the account is considered self directed. Buy/Sell trade instructions can be sent to IDAF and will be processed for an additional service fee. This service is generally not recommended if your account will have frequent trades.

No. We are a service provider only and to not recommend financial advisors or authorized third parties.

Yes. You can assign an authorized third party to manage your investments and to request grants.

All grant requests are verbally confirmed with the donor. The authorized person can not change your contact information and/or account access. Changes to contact information requires the donors signature and confidential pin number. The pin number is not shared with anyone else. An email and letter will be mailed out to inform the donor if any changes have been requested.