Why do we charge an administration fee?
Giving to one charity might be simple, but giving to many charities, planning giving goals, and setting up long-term succession plans is a different kind of giving. Using a donor-advised fund saves you time and helps with the administrative tasks needed to support the charities you believe in.

The fee enables us to provide you with access to our knowledgeable staff, in-depth due diligence, advanced research tools, such as the GuideStar Nonprofit Directory, and supports an online 24/7 account portal for all account management activities. It also covers general operating costs, such as legal, accounting, processing and staff.

Account pricing status

Vanguard Charitable designates philanthropic accounts as eligible for either Standard or Premier pricing. Based on account balance and activity, pricing status dictates an account’s administrative fee schedule.

Standard account status applies to accounts with assets under $1 million or over $1 million (who have not been approved for Premier account status). These accounts will have a 0.60% administrative fee applied to those assists under $500K and a fee of 0.30% applied to those assets over $500K.

Premier account status is subject to Vanguard Charitable's approval and is based on account balance, activity, and patterns. Most accounts with balances of more than $1 million for at least three months are approved for Premier status. Account status is reviewed and approved on a quarterly basis.