When humanitarian crises strike - whether it's a natural disaster, refugee emergency, or armed conflict - many donors feel an urgent call to help. But if you are giving through a Donor-Advised Fund, you may wonder:
Can I respond quickly and meaningfully? Can I direct my support to a specific need or person?
The short answer: yes. Donor-Advised Funds can be powerful vehicles for humanitarian aid, even though they cannot make restricted gifts or give directly to individuals.
Here's how:
⚖️ What DAFs Can’t Do - And Why
Donor-Advised Funds are governed by IRS regulations that prohibit:
Restricted gifts that designate funds for a specific individual or narrowly defined project
Direct donations to individuals (e.g., paying for a specific person’s medical care or tuition or humanitarian trip)
These rules exist to preserve the integrity of charitable giving and ensure tax-advantaged dollars are used for broad public benefit, not personal gain.
But these limitations do not mean Donor-Advised Funds are inflexible. In fact, Donor-Advised Funds are often among the most efficient and impactful ways to respond to humanitarian needs.
✅ What Donor-Advised Funds Can Do to Support Humanitarian Relief
Donor-Advised Funds can be used for:
General operating support for trusted humanitarian nonprofits
Emergency response funds established by reputable aid organizations
Pooled relief efforts, such as crisis-specific giving collaboratives or field funds
International nonprofits (directly or via fiscal sponsors or intermediary 501(c)(3)s)
Many of these nonprofits are on the ground, providing food, water, shelter, medical care, and trauma support where the need is most, and often where restricted giving would slow things down.
🌍 Why Unrestricted Gifts Can Be More Powerful in a Crisis
It is natural to want your donation to go to a very specific purpose - say, helping one family, rebuilding one school, or feeding one refugee camp. But experienced humanitarian organizations know that crises are unpredictable, and needs can shift rapidly.
By making an unrestricted gift through your Donor-Advised Fund, you:
Give relief agencies the flexibility to respond to emerging needs
Empower field workers to adapt in real-time
Trust the experts to allocate resources where they will save the most lives
In short, unrestricted giving is often the most strategic and compassionate way to help.
🛠️ Using Your DAF to Act Quickly and Responsibly
Here is how to support humanitarian causes through your Donor-Advised Fund at UI Charitable:
Choose a credible nonprofit with experience in emergency relief or the specific region or crisis.
Recommend a grant to their general fund or emergency response fund, not to a named individual.
Work with UI Charitable if international giving is involved, we can navigate IRS compliance through equivalency determination or expenditure responsibility.
If you are unsure where to give, we can also connect you to curated funds and trusted partners responding to current crises.
💬 Your Generosity Still Tells a Personal Story
Even without naming a specific individual, your giving still reflects deeply personal values: compassion, urgency, justice. And when you give through a Donor-Advised Fund, you are not just reacting, you are responding strategically.
In times of crisis, that kind of generosity is exactly what the world needs.
