The Charityvest Guide
  • Welcome to Charityvest 👋
  • About Donor-Advised Funds
  • For Donors
    • Getting Started
      • Open an Account
      • Share Account Access
      • Make a Contribution
      • Activate Investing
        • Impact investing
      • Grant to Charity
        • Tips for finding a specific charity
        • Philanthropic advisory
        • International Grantmaking
      • Check Grant Status
      • Schedule Future Giving
      • Send a Gift Card
      • Add Beneficiaries
      • Set a Giving Goal
    • Gifts We Accept
      • Cash
      • Stocks & ETFs
      • Crypto
      • DAF Transfers
      • Complex Assets
      • Other Ways to Donate
    • Our Portfolios
    • Our Fees
    • Philanthropic services
    • Invite Friends, Invest Free
    • Tax Matters
    • For Financial Advisors
  • COMMUNITY FUNDS
    • About Community Funds
    • Fund Managers
    • Community Fund Setup
      • Community Fund Policies
      • Community Fund Settings
      • Community Fund Design
        • Grantmaking Process: Examples + Inspiration
    • Donate to a Community Fund
    • Grant from a Community Fund
    • Community Fund Fees
    • Community Fund FAQs
  • For Charities
    • Receiving Grants
    • Stock & Crypto Donations
    • Charity FAQs
  • For Workplaces
    • Corporate Giving Fund
    • Employee Giving Programs
      • Employee Matching
      • Employee Equity
      • Setting Up an Employee Program
    • Administrator FAQ
    • Employee FAQ
  • About Our Venture
    • Our Giving Model & Philosophy
    • Our Story + Mission + Values
    • The Foundation Source Relationship
    • How We Make Money
    • Building the Future of Giving
    • Our Trust & Security Posture
  • Governance & Legal
    • About Charityvest, Inc.
    • Financial Reporting
    • Legal Documents
    • Required Disclosures
    • Legal Note
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On this page
  • Overview
  • Comparison of Charityvest Accounts vs. Other DAFs
  • Charityvest Fees & Minimums
  • Charityvest Invested Account Fees
  • How We Compare
  • Cash balances disclosure

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  1. For Donors

Our Fees

We are proud to provide a premier DAF capability.

Overview

Charityvest offers two account types: Basic Accounts, which are held in cash, and Invested Accounts, where donors can choose from low-cost ETF portfolios to grow their balance.

Both account types share all same basic fees, minimums, and policies. Invested Accounts are subject to an additional admin fee, assessed monthly on the Charityvest account balance.

Comparison of Charityvest Accounts vs. Other DAFs

Charityvest Basic
Charityvest Invested
Other DAFs

Starting Admin Fees

None

0.60%

Investment Fees

None

Initial Contribution

$0

$0

Investment Choices

None

Often, high-fee captive funds

Asset giving

Stock, crypto, equity/RSUs, and more

Stock, crypto, equity/RSUs, and more

Varies; can be complex

Charityvest Fees & Minimums

Our goal at Charityvest is to catalyze more intentional giving. We believe minimal, simple fees and expenses help donors focus on what matters: doing more good.

We're proud to offer the only completely free, zero-fee donor-advised fund account:

Fees for All Account Types

Account Opening Fee

$0

Account Maintenance Fee

$0

Account Closing Fee

N/A

Contribution Fee (via linked bank account)

$0

Contribution Fee (via all other modalities)

Grant Fee

$0

Minimum Initial Contribution

$0

Minimum Balance Requirement

$0

Minimum Contribution, Grant, or Gift Amount

$15

Charityvest Invested Account Fees

Our investing feature fee structure aligns with DAF industry standards. We assess these fees once per month, directly to your Charityvest balance:

Fees for Invested Accounts Only
Annualized Fee

First $500,000 of Fund Balance

0.60%

Next $500,000 of Fund Balance

0.30%

From $1M to $2.5M of Fund Balance

0.20%

From $2.5M to $5M of Fund Balance

0.15%

From $5M to $10M of Fund Balance

0.10%

Above $10M of Fund Balance

Custom pricing available

Minimum Annual Investing Fee

$100 / year

Here's an example of invested account fees at various balance levels.

Average Balance
Admin Fee

$2,500

$100

$10,000

$100

$100,000

$600

$250,000

$1,500

$500,000

$3,000

$1,000,000

$3,000

There is no minimum amount required to begin investing. A $100 minimum annual fee applies, regardless of balance. Any additional fee required to meeet the $100 minimum annual fee is applied at the end of each fiscal year, and is prorated for accounts established during the fiscal year.

How We Compare

We believe our model compares favorably to other donor-advised fund sponsors from superior features and experience:

  • All of our investment options are efficient by default. Our Core portfolio runs approximately 0.05%, and our ESG option is approximately 0.15%. You don't have to go searching for the lowest expense ratio funds.

  • Our lower-cost investment options give you more control. We provide access to various single asset class index ETFs for 0.05% all-in expense ratio, so you can construct the portfolio that is appropriate for your charitable goals. Compare this to Fidelity Charitable, whose single asset class pools range from 0.35% to 1.04% expense ratios.

  • Being socially-conscious doesn't require big tradeoffs. Our ESG portfolio provides access to the same asset classes as our Core portfolio, and costs only 0.06% more (0.11% total). At Schwab Charitable, the Socially-Responsible Fund will run you 0.67%, and is available only in an approximate 60 / 40 mutual fund.

  • Our minimums work for everyone. Our minimum activity of any type is just $15. While Vanguard Charitable's investment options are superb, low expense ratio, and thoughtfully constructed, they have high minimums that may not be compatible with flexible giving. Vanguard Charitable's minimum opening contribution is $25,000.

Cash balances disclosure

Charityvest may earn revenue from the interest or other income generated on cash balances held in donor-advised fund (DAF) accounts. These earnings help support the operational sustainability and continued development of the Charityvest platform, including the provision of no-fee charitable giving accounts for individuals and organizations. Interest income retained by Charityvest is not charged to donor accounts and does not reduce donor-advised fund balances.

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Last updated 6 days ago

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0.60% ()

0.73% ()

$25,000 ()

Fidelity
0.05% Standard
0.11% Filtered
Schwab
Vanguard
Low-cost, independent ETFs
Varies