Anyone use Vanguard Charitable/ have a DAF thru Vanguard?

[ohgillian]

Hi - I've been happy at Vanguard for several years and am exploring Vanguard Charitable. I don't even know what all is offered under that umbrella, but one product in particular I'm considering is a DAF (donor-advised fund). Any comments on your experiences with this aspect of Vanguard?

[awkwardpenguin]

We have a Vanguard Charitable DAF. I did it because it was easier and faster to transfer stock from Vanguard to Vanguard Charitable, but if I were doing it again, I think I'd go with Fidelity for the DAF instead. The main reason being that the minimum grant amount is $500 for Vanguard, which is pretty limiting. Fidelity's minimum grant amount is $50. They also have different initial deposit amounts - Vanguard is $25k and Fidelity is $5k. So Fidelity is more flexible, especially for smaller funds.

I have had all good experiences with my Vanguard Charitable DAF, I just wish I could make smaller grants.

[ohgillian]

Feb 13, 2020 15:56:42 GMT -5 awkwardpenguin said:

We have a Vanguard Charitable DAF. I did it because it was easier and faster to transfer stock from Vanguard to Vanguard Charitable, but if I were doing it again, I think I'd go with Fidelity for the DAF instead. The main reason being that the minimum grant amount is $500 for Vanguard, which is pretty limiting. Fidelity's minimum grant amount is $50. They also have different initial deposit amounts - Vanguard is $25k and Fidelity is $5k. So Fidelity is more flexible, especially for smaller funds.

I have had all good experiences with my Vanguard Charitable DAF, I just wish I could make smaller grants.

This is super helpful; thank you! I knew about the $25k minimum for opening, but I didn't realize that Fidelity would let me make such smaller grants. We don't do small amounts here and there very much, but sometimes I do. 

Is it hard to make donations out of it, from a hassle/paperwork perspective?  Every year that I donate stock I'm shocked all over again that Vanguard requires me to sign and mail a hard copy of the form. It's 2020!!!