Contribution FAQs
The following list of commonly asked questions are specific to contributions and funding of your DAF.
How do I make a one-time cash contribution?
Go to your Contribute page > click Add Funds > select Add Cash via Wire Transfer or Add Cash Using Credit Card > follow the instructions from there.
What types of assets can I contribute to my DAF?
You can contribute cash, stocks, mutual funds, ETFs, or transfer external DAFs to a BlueGive by Blue Trust account. You also have the option to contribute complex gifts such as real estate, cryptocurrency, art, and much more.
What happens when I make a contribution?
GiveClear™ Foundation, the nonprofit organization that sponsors the BlueGive by BlueTrust account, will post the proceeds to your account.
Who owns the funds after I make a contribution?
Once your charitable contribution is posted in the account, it becomes the property of GiveClear™ Foundation, the nonprofit organization that sponsors the BlueGive by BlueTrust account. GiveClear will make charitable grants using your contributions.
Is there a fee for making a contribution?
No. GiveClear™ Foundation, the nonprofit organization that sponsors the BlueGive by Blue Trust account, does not charge a fee for making a contribution.
Can I get my money back after I make a contribution?
No. Your contribution into the BlueGive account is a charitable contribution and as such, it is irrevocable.
What bank accounts are eligible for electronic funds transfer (EFT)?
You can make contributions by EFT from any personal savings or checking account at a U.S. bank. The account registration should match the corresponding registration on your bank account.
Can I contribute IRA or 401(k) funds to my DAF account?
You cannot contribute funds directly from a 401(k) or IRA to a Donor-Advised Fund (DAF).
You may name a BlueGive by BlueTrust account as the beneficiary of an IRA or other retirement plan (contact your plan administrator for instructions).
Donor Advised Funds are not eligible recipients for an IRA Charitable Rollover. IRA assets can be distributed to charities immediately or over time upon death.
How do I name my DAF as a beneficiary of an IRA?
To name your DAF as a beneficiary of your IRA, you will need distribution instructions for the DAF’s sponsoring charity: GiveClear.
While charity distributions instructions may differ across originating firm form requirements, please be sure to include the following detail:
Charity legal name: The GiveClear Foundation
Charity EIN: 81-3222963
Charity mailing address: 1235 East Blvd Ste E, PMB 1836, Charlotte, NC 28203
Donor Advised Fund at Charity: provide unique name or number
Note: Federal tax laws do not permit donors to make a qualified charitable distribution or rollover of funds from an IRA to a donor advised fund. Distributions from traditional IRA to the Fund are recognized as taxable income by the IRA owner. However, the IRA owner may be eligible for a potential charitable income tax deduction up to the amount of the IRA distribution. The distribution may be counted towards the IRA owner’s required minimum distribution for the year. Donors should consult their tax advisors to understand the tax implications of a distribution from an IRA to The GiveClear Foundation.
What happens to my contributions once I fund my BlueGive DAF?
You can recommend a grant to an IRS-qualified public charity using the available funds in the account.
If you’re not ready to recommend a grant yet, you can recommend an investment for your account from a variety of BlueTrust investment vehicles. However, if you don’t make an investment recommendation, your contributions will be invested in the U.S. Treasuries and Cash (Ticker: SGOV) by default.
Can someone else give money to my account as a third-party contributor?
Yes. When making a contribution, choose Other within the contributor drop down and enter the contributor's name. Whomever is the head of household for the DAF will need to download and send the tax receipt to this contributor.
How can I transfer funds from an existing DAF with another provider to a BlueGive by Blue Trust account?
To make your transfer, open a BlueGive by BlueTrust account.
Contact your current DAF provider and recommend a grant to “GiveClear™ Foundation” (EIN# 81-3222963).
Please be sure to include your full name and BlueGive by BlueTrust account number in your grant request. You can find the account number in the account confirmation email, which you’ll receive once the account opening process is complete.
Where can I track the status of my recent contribution?
To track the status of any contribution click on the Contributions tab and navigate to the Contribution History table.
What is the last date to contribute to a BlueGive account for tax deduction eligibility in the current year?
Typically, you will want to initiate your charitable transfer of cash or securities so that GiveClear™ can receive the contributed asset before December 31st.
To receive an official receipt for your charitable contribution in a given tax year, the contribution must be received by GiveClear prior to December 31st in the same year. Please note that processing times may vary, and GiveClear and BlueTrust are not responsible for delays.
I submitted the wrong contribution amount. Can I cancel the contribution?
Contributions are irrevocable once received and accepted by GiveClear™ Foundation, the non-profit organization that sponsors the account.
If the contribution is pending within the Contribution History table, you may be able to click the "X" icon on the contribution to cancel it.
What should I do if the contribution balance looks incorrect?
It may take up to five business days for a recent contribution to be reflected in the account balance. If it still looks incorrect after 5 days, please reach out to care@bluegive.org for assistance.
Can Advisor Managed Account transfers be made from NCF to BlueGive "in-kind" or does the account need to be liquidated first?
While BlueGive accepts in-kind transfer, NCF does not allow in-kind DAF transfers. You will need to liquidate the account first, and then create a gift out of the NCF DAF to the GiveClear Foundation in the full amount of the DAF.
How soon are shares liquidated after being received by GiveClear?
Shares are liquated dated the same day they are received if received before 2pm EST.
Shares will be liquidated the following day if received after 2pm EST.
Are DAF contributions tax-deductible?
Yes, contributions are eligible for an immediate tax deduction in the year they are made, subject to IRS limits.
Do I need to itemize deductions on my tax return to realize tax benefits from annual DAF contributions?
To claim a tax deduction for your Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) contributions, you must itemize deductions on your tax return. If your total itemized deductions (including charitable contributions) do not exceed the standard deduction, you may not receive an additional tax benefit from your DAF contribution.
What documentation will I receive for tax reporting purposes?
BlueGive will issue a tax receipt confirming the donation amount and date for your records.
When will my tax receipt be available?
The tax receipt is generated once the contribution has been fully processed, which is usually within 3-5 business days from when we received the funds into the GiveClear Foundation account.
How does BlueGive calculate the tax value for gifted shares?
The BlueGive platform calculates the tax value of the gift (shares received) which is the average of the share price high and low on receipt date.
Can I claim a tax deduction for contributions of appreciated assets?
Yes, donating appreciated assets allows you to deduct the fair market value and avoid capital gains taxes.
Do DAF contributions affect my annual charitable deduction limits?
Yes, deductions for DAF contributions are subject to IRS limits—up to 60% of AGI for cash and 30% for non-cash assets.
Can I contribute cryptocurrency to into my DAF?
We certainly can receive cryptocurrency gifts, but we would file this under the complex gift label and work with the Charitable Solutions to help process and liquidate the funds. Please reach out to care@bluegive.org if you're interested in gifting cryptocurrency or other alternative assets.
Do I need an appraisal or Form 8283?
You may be required to file Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Form 8283 with your tax return to report information about noncash charitable contributions, if the amount of your deduction for all noncash contributions during the year is greater than $500, before applying any AGI limits.
Qualified appraisals are generally required for hard to value assets and therefore not required when donating marketable securities and cash through BlueGive by Blue Trust account. Please consult your tax advisor for more information.
Can a private foundation open a BlueGive DAF?
Yes, a private foundation can open a BlueGive DAF and transfer assets to it. This strategy is often used to simplify administration, reduce costs, and maintain philanthropic flexibility.
The foundation may receive a charitable deduction for the transfer (if eligible) and can continue recommending grants through the DAF. However, once assets are moved to a DAF, they become irrevocable and must comply with DAF regulations, which are typically more restrictive than private foundation rules.
How do you determine the fair market value of non-cash contributions?
Publicly traded assets use market prices, while privately held assets require an independent appraisal conducted by our partner Dechomai.
I contributed to myAdvisor Managed Account, but I don't see the tax receipt on the BlueGive site?
Make sure the contribution details have been entered on the BlueGive site. If your advisor made a contribution into the Advisor Managed Account, they still need to enter those details into the site so we can reconcile it to the Advisor Managed Accounts on our end.
Once reconciled, the contribution will be present on the tax receipt.
Why is the value of my security contribution on the tax receipt different from the value that was added to my DAF balance?
Donors get tax credit for the value of the security when the change in ownership happened (from donor to DAF sponsor). Change in ownership happens when the DAF sponsor (GiveClear Foundation) receives the security in their account.
Liquidation happens the same day as long as the funds were received before 2pm EST, otherwise liquidation happens the next business day. The actual proceeds from that liquidation is what gets added to the DAF balance.
Is there a fee for credit card contributions?
Yes, there is a 3% fee.
What is GiveClear Foundation's mailing address?
GiveClear Foundation
1235 East Blvd
Ste. E PMB 1836
Charlotte, NC 28203
Is there a minimum contribution amount to get started with BlueGive? Do I have to maintain a minimum DAF balance?
No, there is no minimum contribution amount at this time.
Why is the date of my credit card contribution different from my tax receipt?
The date on the tax receipt is the date we receive the funds into the DAF sponsor's account-which is not the same as when you make the credit card contribution. This is similar to how other credit card purchases work - the payment stays pending until the recipient has fully processed the transaction.
Can I update the shares on a contribution I already submitted?
No, you cannot update the shares on a submitted contribution. However:
If you intend to send less than your original LOI, you can cancel the contribution (assuming it is still pending) and resubmit a new contribution to reflect the shares you intend to send.
If you intend to send more shares than your original LOI, you can always create a second contribution with the additional shares.
How long does it take for security contributions to hit my account?
Once we receive the funds in the GiveClear Foundation account, it takes 3 business days for the funds to settle and be added to the DAF balance.
How do I find my contribution history?
Navigate to your Contribution tab and towards the bottom of the page you will see Contribution History. From here, you can select Wire Transfer, Securities, Fund transfers, or any contribution type to view the history.
Can I make an internal BlueGive DAF transfer?
For example, my son has a BlueGive DAF and I'd like to send him a gift from my DAF balance.
Yes, you can make an internal BlueGive DAF transfer following these steps:
DAF A (the DAF that is sending the gift) submits a grant to The GiveClear Foundation and uses the grant notes to specify where the gift is going
In this case you would enter DAF B's (the receiving DAF) Fund Number and Fund Name, found on Overview Page.
DAF B enters an external DAF transfer "intent to contribute" under the contribution tab within BlueGive and enters the details for the gift coming from DAF A.