Charitable Impact has announced the launch of Introduction to Donor-Advised Funds, a CIRO-accredited continuing education course designed to help financial advisors integrate charitable giving into client planning. The course aims to support tax-efficient giving and increase opportunities for managing charitable assets under management.
Course Details and Credit
The course provides one CE credit and takes approximately one hour to complete. It covers how donor-advised funds (DAFs) work, common giving strategies, tax considerations such as eliminating capital gains by donating publicly traded securities, eligible asset types, DAF administration and advisor management fee structures, and comparisons between DAFs and private foundations.
Addressing a Gap in Advisor Support
The launch comes as research indicates a significant gap in advisor support for charitable giving. According to CEG Insights, 87% of affluent clients intend to make a meaningful impact through charitable giving, but only 6% currently receive guidance from their advisors. Without a clear framework, charitable giving often remains disconnected from tax, estate, and investment planning.
“Financial advisors help clients manage many aspects of their financial lives, but charitable giving is still often overlooked during planning conversations,” said John Bromley, Founder and CEO of Charitable Impact. “That can happen for understandable reasons: philanthropy may feel outside an advisor’s main practice, it can seem counterintuitive when clients are giving assets away, and it could be an added administrative burden for advisory teams. Donor-advised funds help address those barriers for advisors. They give advisors a practical way to help their clients achieve both their financial and philanthropic goals, attract and retain charitable assets under management, and reduce administrative workload. And for clients, they provide an excellent donor tool for managing charitable giving.”
Importance of Advisor Education
Advisor education is key to integrating DAFs into financial planning. A 2026 report from the Donor Advised Fund Research Collaborative found that advisors who are more familiar with DAFs are more likely to recommend them, suggesting that education and hands-on understanding can play an important role in how confidently advisors raise the topic with clients. The new course helps advisors understand how DAFs work, how broadly they apply across clients, and how to raise them during client touchpoints such as onboarding, annual reviews, estate planning, dealing with capital gains, and relational conversations.
