DONOR ADVISED FUND As the name would suggest, this is a fund created by you but owned by a non-profit organization known as a sponsoring organization. You can deposit the money or property (real estate, stocks, etc.) you would like to use as your charitable donation into a fund account. Once you deposit the money or property into the account, you are eligible to take the income tax deduction. The sponsoring organization then takes ownership and manages the fund. This could include selling the property and reinvesting the money into an income producing account. Although the sponsoring organization owns the fund, you have the ability to advise which qualifying charities should receive money from your fund and what amounts should be distributed. One of the benefits of a donor advised fund is that you are able to get the income tax deduction the year you make the donation to the fund, even if the money is not distributed to a qualifying charity that tax year. As with other gifting strategies, because you have gifted the money or property into the fund, you no longer own it, and it is not subject to estate tax upon your death.