Donor Advised Funds

Establish a Donor Advised Fund with the University of Michigan

The University of Michigan Donor Advised Fund, a fund within the BNY Mellon Charitable Gift Fund (“Gift Fund”), offers a simple and tax-efficient way to maximize the impact of your charitable giving. Contributions may be eligible for a tax deduction and grow tax-free, leveraging the value of your philanthropy. Grants are distributed at your own pace, providing the opportunity to develop a strategic approach that better supports your philanthropic vision.

Some benefits to ask about:

Use in lieu of a family foundation – Michigan, in partnership with BNY Mellon, manages the administration
Plan for taxes or a liquidity event (an immediate charitable deduction)
Establish a family legacy with the ability to appoint successor advisors
Tax-free growth on assets
Support Michigan and multiple other charities
Give with complex assets (private equities and crypto)
Name a beneficiary with specific designations
Use a charitable checkbook

Visit our Donor Advised Fund site

Recommend a Grant from a Donor Advised Fund

When requesting a charitable distribution from a Donor Advised Fund, here is some general information you may need:

Regents of the University of Michigan Tax ID: 38-6006309

Address to send payment:
Gift and Records Administration
3003 South State Street, Ste 8000
Ann Arbor, MI 48109

You do not need to register or set up a new account for the specific fund or area you're giving to. When you request the donation, there's typically a place to add a comment and this is where you can specify the fund name and 6-digit designation number for the fund you want to support.

If there is no place to include these details, please let our team know so we can make sure your gift gets processed correctly.

PLEASE NOTE: Per IRS Regulations, the University cannot accept payments from a donor advised fund that provide a benefit to an individual, including, but not limited to the following:

To satisfy a binding pledge obligation
Provide a donor or a related person with more than an incidental benefit (i.e., tickets to attend an event, memberships that have more than incidental benefits)
Purchases at an auction
Support a named individual (such as for an individual’s tuition, salary, etc.)
Bifurcated Grants that pay all or a portion of the cost to attend a charitable event (regardless of whether the grant is intended to only pay the tax deductible portion)
Scholarships where the donor or related person have selection rights or privileges that determine who the particular scholarships are awarded to