First Citizens Donor Advised Fund

Amplify your charitable impact

A tax-smart giving strategy

Your charitable giving should be as thoughtful and strategic as the rest of your financial plan. With the First Citizens Donor Advised Fund, you can tap into the flexibility and personalization of how and when you contribute to causes you care about. Together, we'll analyze your unique goals and needs and build a tax-smart strategy that reflects your values and creates a lasting impact.

First Citizens Donor Advised Fund video

First Citizens Wealth®

Donor Advised Fund

Give with confidence

Charitable giving should feel rewarding—not overwhelming.

If you're struggling with tracking donations, organizing receipts and last-minute, year-end decisions, First Citizens Bank can help.

The First Citizens Donor Advised Fund offers a simple, streamlined way to give with confidence. Trade chaos for clarity by consolidating charitable giving into one account that's easily managed through a secure online portal.

Simply make a contribution to your donor advised fund. From there, you can recommend grants to the causes you care about anytime—on your schedule.

The benefits go beyond simplicity. You receive an immediate tax deduction in the year you contribute to the fund while retaining the flexibility to decide later which organizations to support.

That's less year-end stress and more time to be thoughtful about your impact. Also have powerful tools at your fingertips that make it simple to track your giving year over year. From one location, you're able to explore the causes you're supporting. You can even research new organizations through trusted charitable databases.

No matter what your passion is, you'll have clear insight into where your dollars are making a difference. Want to amplify your charitable impact over time? You have the flexibility to choose an investment strategy that fits your goals and time horizon. Plus, your charitable gains grow tax-free.

Wherever you are, you can give with ease, efficiency and purpose. The First Citizens Donor Advised Fund offers a smarter, more flexible way to support the causes you care about.

Learn more. Contact us today.

First Citizens Wealth®

Donor Advised Fund

FirstCitizens.com/DAF

Your investments in securities and insurance products and services are not insured by the FDIC or any other federal government agency and may lose value. They are not deposits or other obligations of, or guaranteed by any bank or bank affiliate and are subject to investment risks, including possible loss of the principal amounts invested.

First Citizens Donor Advised Fund (FCDAF) investment management is provided by First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company. FCDAF has entered into an agreement with Renaissance Charitable Foundation Inc. to provide administrative services for the FCDAF.

First Citizens Wealth® (FCW) is a registered trademark of First Citizens BancShares, Inc., a bank holding company.

Renaissance Charitable Foundation Inc. (RCF) is a §501(c)(3) publicly supported charity that operates private-label donor advised fund programs and is not affiliated with First Citizens BancShares, Inc.

Take the first step toward flexible charitable giving

Ready to open an account?

Donor Advised Fund Benefits
Flexible, streamlined giving

The First Citizens Donor Advised Fund uses an intuitive platform to help you view your contributions and make grants to your favorite qualified nonprofits while making the most of donor advised fund, or DAF, benefits.

  • Timely tax advantages

    Established through a public charity, DAFs create an opportunity for immediate tax benefits and may help you avoid capital gains tax.

  • Simplified recordkeeping

    Tax filing for your charitable contributions is easy with an annual, aggregated statement of your contributions.

  • Choice of fund options

    Select an asset allocation for your account that meets your philanthropic goals—and update it anytime.

  • Nationwide charitable impact

    Our DAF allows you to support any 501(c)(3) organization with a tax ID—no matter where you live in the US.

Donor Advised Fund Contributions
Give on your terms

In addition to flexible timing, the First Citizens DAF allows you to contribute a variety of asset classes to support your philanthropic goals.

  • Cash
  • Publicly traded stocks
  • Mutual funds
  • Real estate
  • Closely held business interests like S and C corporations, LLCs and LPs
  • Life insurance
  • Cryptocurrency
  • Private equity or hedge funds
  • Tangible personal property
  • Intellectual property

Customize your charitable giving
An intuitive platform

Create and contribute to an account in a few simple steps

Make grants to charities based on location and interests

Easily update your asset allocation to meet your goals

Connect With Us

Customize your charitable giving
An intuitive platform

Create and contribute to an account in a few simple steps

Customize your charitable giving
An intuitive platform

Make grants to charities based on location and interests

Customize your charitable giving
An intuitive platform

Easily update your asset allocation to meet your goals

Connect With Us

How to get started

Ready to open a First Citizens Donor Advised Fund? Getting started takes less than 20 minutes.

Step 1
Launch our DAF site

Your application will be completed through . Select Create Account in the top right corner.

Step 2
Enter fund information

Enter information for your fund and select your role. As the DAF account owner, select Donor/Grant Advisor.

Step 3
Add other roles

You'll need to add your financial advisor to your DAF account. They'll only be able to view contributions and grant activity. You can also add family members—age 18 or older—as donors/grant advisors.

Step 4
Select asset allocation

Add information about your planned contribution, then select one of six asset allocations based on your risk appetite.

Step 5
Choose statement recipients

You can choose up to three recipients to receive account statements via email.

Step 6
Submit your application

Confirm your information, then submit your signed application via fax, email or mail.

Step 7
Transfer assets

Follow the asset transfer instructions in the platform. Specific instructions will vary depending on the asset class.

Donor Advised Funds FAQ
People often ask us

Yes. While there are many benefits to using donor advised funds as a giving vehicle, you should keep in mind a few important elements:

  • You won't have complete control over the assets within your DAF
  • All grants must be directed to public 501(c)(3) organizations
  • Family members can't be employed by a DAF

There are several differences between a DAF and a private foundation, including structure, setup and tax-deduction limits. A DAF is an account managed by a sponsoring charitable organization. Because of its structure, it's typically quick to set up with low initial and ongoing expenses and no annual distribution requirements. A private foundation is a separate nonprofit entity funded by a donor and used for charitable grant-making. It typically takes longer to establish and requires annual distributions.

In addition to the First Citizens DAF, we partner with a number of local community foundations, including the North Carolina Community Foundation and the Central Carolina Community Foundation. These local partnerships allow us to facilitate charitable giving for our clients across the country as well as support the North Carolina community where First Citizens began.

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This material is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be an offer, specific investment strategy, recommendation, or solicitation to purchase or sell any security or insurance product, and should not be construed as legal, tax, or accounting advice. Please consult with your legal or tax advisor regarding the particular facts and circumstances of your situation prior to making any financial decision. While we believe that the information presented is from reliable sources, we do not represent, warrant, or guarantee that it is accurate or complete.

Links to third-party websites may have a privacy policy different from First Citizens Bank and may provide less security than this website. First Citizens Bank and its affiliates are not responsible for the products, services, and content on any third-party website.

Third parties mentioned are not affiliated with First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company.

Your investments in securities and insurance products are not insured by the FDIC or any other federal government agency and may lose value. They are not deposits or other obligations of, or guaranteed by, any bank or bank affiliate and are subject to investment risks, including possible loss of the principal amounts invested. Past performance does not guarantee future results. There is no guarantee that a strategy will achieve its objective.

First Citizens Donor Advised Fund (FCDAF) investment management is provided by First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company. FCDAF has entered into an agreement with Renaissance Charitable Foundation Inc.* to provide administrative services for the FCDAF.

First Citizens Wealth® (FCW) is a registered trademark of First Citizens BancShares, Inc., a bank holding company.

*Renaissance Charitable Foundation Inc. is a §501(c)(3) publicly-supported charity that operates private-label donor-advised fund programs and is not affiliated with First Citizens BancShares, Inc.