Donor Advised Fund

Simplify Your Giving

A donor advised fund (DAF), which is like a charitable savings account, gives you the flexibility to recommend how much and how often money is granted to the University of Edinburgh USA Development Trust and other qualified charities. You can recommend a grant or recurring grants now to make an immediate impact or use your fund as a tool for future charitable gifts.

You can also create a lasting legacy by naming the University of Edinburgh USA Development Trust the beneficiary of the entire account or a percentage of the fund. With a percentage, you can create a family legacy of giving by naming your loved ones as your successor to continue recommending grants to charitable organizations. Contact your fund administrator for a beneficiary form.

DAF Basics

Still learning about DAFs? Discover the ease of opening a donor advised fund—plus the advantages you’ll enjoy—with your FREE guide Centralize Your Giving With Donor Advised Funds.

Get More From Your DAF

Ensure you’ve made the most of your donor advised fund—for your family and for the University of Edinburgh USA Development Trust. Download the FREE guide Maximize the Impact of Donor Advised Funds.

An example of how it could work

Happy couple calculating donations Joe and Laura want to give back to their hometown by putting their money where it will do the most good. They establish a $25,000 donor advised fund with a community foundation.

The couple receives a federal income tax charitable deduction for the amount of the gift. They also get the time they need to decide which charities to support.

After researching community needs with the foundation’s staff, Joe and Laura recommend grants for the University of Edinburgh USA Development Trust (which they’ve supported for years) and a local animal shelter. The foundation presents the charities with checks from the Patricia Fund, which Joe and Laura named in honor of Laura’s mother. They name the University of Edinburgh USA Development Trust as the beneficiary to receive the account balance after their lifetimes. Joe and Laura are delighted to start this personal legacy of giving.

Fund Your Donation With:

Next Steps

If you already have a fund, use our tool Take Action! Visit Your Fund to connect. No fund yet? Get our free guide.
Contact Morag Murison at +44 (0) 131 650 2240 or legacy-giving@ed.ac.uk to discuss using your donor advised funds to support the University of Edinburgh USA Development Trust and our mission.
Seek the advice of your financial or legal advisor.
If you include the University of Edinburgh USA Development Trust in your plans, please use our legal name and federal tax ID.

Legal name: The University of Edinburgh USA Development Trust
Address: 45 Rockefeller Plaza, Ste 2000, New York, NY, 10111, USA
Federal tax ID number: 52-1802057

The University of Edinburgh USA Development Trust, Inc, is a registered charity, which supports students, teaching and research at the University of Edinburgh. The Trust is incorporated in the State of Virginia and is recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Under its charter and in accordance with U.S. tax law, the University of Edinburgh USA Development Trust, Inc may not receive restricted gifts. However, the Board gives every consideration to donors’ requests when allocating gifts to the University of Edinburgh.

Please also note that the University of Edinburgh has its own charitable status. If you are a USA taxpayer, you can designate it as a beneficiary in your will because bequests to overseas charities are normally exempt from US estate tax. Life income gifts and other planned giving vehicles may need to be given to the University of Edinburgh USA Development Trust, Inc, in order to be eligible for favourable tax treatment under IRS rules.

Due to complexity of some gifts, we would encourage you to contact us to discuss your wishes in the first instance. Please note that the acceptance of each gift is decided on an individual basis.

We welcome enquiries from all donors throughout the US and Canada.

Take Action! Visit Your Fund