To process a grant recommendation submitted by a donor, we may need to request certain information from you to verify your charitable status. Our goal is to get the funds to you as soon as possible. We’ll keep your information securely on file so donors can more easily recommend grants to you in the future.

Potential information needed from your organization:

• Contact information
• Employer identification number (EIN)
• Legal charity name
• Mailing address
• Mission statement

Religious, government or supporting organizations may require additional information. Learn more about our due diligence process.

We strongly recommend updating your GuideStar profile as it is often the first place our donors look before recommending a grant. Earn a Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum Seal of Transparency on GuideStar, then renew each year. This ensures that our donors have up-to-date information about your organization and offers an extra layer of trust. (View our own profile on GuideStar for an example.)

Note: Make sure your NTEE codes are accurate when completing your profile.

Our donors generally learn about nonprofits through recommendations from friends and family, research, or an existing relationship with your organization. We also offer databases and tools, such as GuideStar’s Nonprofit Directory or the Nonprofit Aid Visualizer^TM (NAVi), to help our donors search for charities.

In the case of donor-advised fund grants, no one. You shouldn’t send the tax receipt to the donor, because they’ve already received one from us when they made their initial contribution. You do not need to send us a tax receipt, either.

We understand that thanking donors for supporting your organization may be a vital part of your outreach. When donor contact information is provided on the grant letter, you may thank them, as long as acknowledgement of the gift goes to Vanguard Charitable and a tax receipt is not issued.

Sometimes our donors decide to give without recognition. The grant payment letter contains all the information a donor has elected to share. If a donor has chosen to give anonymously or only share the fund name, it indicates that they do not wish to receive an acknowledgment for that specific grant. We respect our donors' recognition preferences and will not release unauthorized information.

Grants are generally processed within a few days. Delays may arise if we require additional information from your organization, so please respond promptly if contacted by our Grants team.

Vanguard Charitable (EIN: 23-2888152) is a leading 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to increase philanthropy and maximize its impact over time. We do this by sponsoring donor-advised funds (DAFs).

Learn more about our organization.

DAFs are tax-effective charitable giving accounts for individuals that are designed exclusively to invest, grow, and distribute funds to charities for meaningful and lasting impact.

See how our donors make use of their DAFs.

Donors can recommend a grant to any 501(c)(3) public charity in the U.S.

No. Grants that come from DAFs are recommended by individual donors. Promoting your ability to accept DAF grants to your existing donor base is a great way to boost the number of grants you receive. Updating your GuideStar profile is also an excellent step you can take to be seen by more donors with DAFs.

A DAF donor (also called an “advisor”) may be a retiree who opened a DAF so that they could continue giving after they stopped working. Or, a DAF advisor may have found a private foundation to be too costly and burdensome, and opted for a lower-cost giving tool with more flexibility. Many DAFs are advised by families who have pooled their charitable resources and view philanthropy as a communal endeavor.

Individuals use DAFs for a variety of reasons, but the common thread is a desire to further one’s philanthropic efforts. Some of the advantages of a Vanguard Charitable DAF are:

1. Convenience:

Instead of having to personally track all their giving, donors can use DAFs as a centralized hub to simplify their philanthropy. One contribution can fund multiple donations to a donor’s favorite charities.

2. Increased giving potential:

Assets in a DAF are invested tax-free, enabling many donors to grant much more to charity over time.

3. Flexibility:

In the wake of a crisis or economic downturn, donors with DAFs can respond quickly. Charitable resources in a DAF are “primed” and ready for rapid disbursal.

4. New charitable assets:

Vanguard Charitable can accept donations of non-cash assets such as appreciated securities, private equity, real estate, and more. These complex donations pull additional resources into the philanthropic community.

• Donors can recommend a grant to any 501(c)(3) public charity in the U.S.
  • Vanguard Charitable does not accept grant requests directly from charities.
• Donors choose the grant amount, with a minimum of $500.
  • Our average grant is approximately $10,000.
• Donors select how they want to be recognized and choose to identify themselves or remain anonymous.
  • Only 4% of grants are completely anonymous.
• Donors recommend the timing. They can send the grant check immediately, in the future, or on a recurring basis.
• We complete due diligence to verify the nonprofit’s charitable status and determine whether the gift preserves the charitable intention of the donor. If so, we issue the grant.

We examine a recipient charity's tax-exempt status, the intended use of the grant, and any potential impermissible benefits. Our dedicated grants team follows a strict protocol to get the funds to you as smoothly as possible while still adhering to IRS guidelines. Learn more about our process here.