The Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund
The Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund ("Gift Fund") is an independent public charity with a donor advised fund program called the Giving Account®.
Learn more about donor advised funds >
Since 1992, Gift Fund donors have recommended more than $7 billion in grants to over 111,000 nonprofit organizations.1 Learn more about What We Do.
The Process of "Recommending" Grants
Gift Fund donors recommend grants to nonprofit organizations,2 subject to approval based on Gift Fund policies. For example, certain Gift Fund policy restrictions apply to grants that provide "more than incidental benefits" to the Gift Fund donor, other account holders, or their families. Find out more about these policies in Working With Us.
Receiving Grants from the Gift Fund
Grants from the Gift Fund can only be made to IRS-qualified2 public charities and certain private operating foundations. To qualify your organization’s eligibility, we need specific types of information. Find out more in When We Contact You.
Learn more about eligible grant recipients >
Please note that the Gift Fund does not accept grant proposals from non-profit organizations. Grants are made solely based on Gift Fund donor recommendations.3
Tax Receipts and Acknowledging Gift Fund Donors
When your organization receives a grant from the Gift Fund, you should not issue a tax receipt to the donor, who already received a tax receipt when they made their tax-deductible contribution to the Gift Fund.
However, if you wish, you may thank or acknowledge the donor and/or the Giving Account (such as, the Smith Family Charitable Fund) for having recommended a grant from the Gift Fund. Use the information provided on the Gift Fund's grant transmittal letter which accompanies the grant check. Again, it is not necessary to issue a tax receipt to the Gift Fund.
1 As of June 30, 2007.
2 Grants can only be made to IRS-qualified public charities. These are organizations that are formed under the laws of the United States and its territories, which are public charities as as described in Section 509(a)(1), (a)(2) or (a)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (the "Code"), or are private operating foundations as described in Section 4942(j)(3) of the Code and applicable regulations and IRS authority.
3 Or in certain instances, the Gift Fund Trustees invite grant recipients to submit a grant proposal to the Trustees' Philanthropy Fund.
Speak with a representative: 1-800-952-4438
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Gift Fund Terminology
- Donor – An individual, private foundation, or business entity that has makes an irrevocable contribution to the Gift Fund.
- Recommend a Grant – Donors cannot make a grant, but they can recommend a grant. The Gift Fund will perform due diligence, ensure that the grant adheres to Gift Fund policies, and then make the grant based on the donor’s recommendations.