Podcast Summary: "A Holistic Giving Solution for Donors and Advisors"

Podcast: Jill on Money with Jill Schlesinger
Episode: A Holistic Giving Solution for Donors and Advisors
Date: April 3, 2026
Guest: Julie Sunwoo, President of DAF Giving 360

Overview

In this episode, Jill Schlesinger explores donor advised funds (DAFs) as a smart, accessible, and strategic tool for philanthropy. She is joined by Julie Sunwoo, President of DAF Giving 360, one of the largest providers in the sector. Together, they discuss the evolving landscape of charitable giving, recent tax legislation, practical strategies for donors, and how advisors can better inform clients about these options.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Julie Sunwoo’s Journey & Perspectives

• Julie shares her career path from art history major to the financial services industry, ultimately leading to her role at DAF Giving 360.
  • Quote: “I believe that it's really important for people to follow their passion… the most important thing that people need to learn is how to think critically, right, and communicate and understand things.” – Julie (04:28)
• She explains that foundational skills like critical thinking, learned through the humanities, inform her approach to philanthropy today.

Donor Advised Funds (DAFs): What and Why?

• Definition: A DAF is a “simple, tax smart way to give to charity” (05:25).
• How it works:
  • Contribute various assets (cash, stocks, ETFs, even collectibles).
  • Receive the market value of your contribution as a tax deduction in that year (06:00).
  • Funds can later be distributed to charities of your choice.

Accessibility and Myths

• Julie emphasizes DAFs are not just for the wealthy; DAF Giving 360, for example, has no account minimum.
  • Quote: “You could literally put $100 in and have that be your contribution for the year if that's what you choose.” – Julie (06:28)

Using Appreciated Assets for Giving

• Strategic advantage: Donating appreciated securities (such as stocks that have increased in value) allows donors to avoid capital gains tax and maximize their charitable impact.
  • “Because you are not subject to that capital gains tax, you can receive as much as 20% more that can be directed to charity.” – Julie (07:15)

Current Tax Law Changes (The “One Big Beautiful Bill”)

• For itemizers:
  • Now must exceed a 0.5% AGI threshold to deduct charitable contributions (08:16).
• For high earners (37% bracket or above):
  • Deduction value now capped at 35%. Income above ~$640k (single) or $768k (married filing jointly) taxed at 37%. (09:58)
  • “Anything above that will no longer be deductible. So that is an impact for the higher, higher income generators.” – Julie

Bunching as a Strategic Giving Approach

• Bunching: Grouping several years’ worth of charitable contributions into one year to maximize tax benefits.
  • “It helps you meet your long term charitable goals, also receive all the benefits that you want in terms of tax benefits. It's a great strategy.” – Julie (08:42)

Expanded Standard Deduction for Charitable Giving

• Now, even non-itemizers can deduct up to $1,000 (single) or $2,000 (joint) for gifts to eligible operating charities (10:30).
  • “Over 90% of tax filers do not itemize. And so the latest tax changes allow people to deduct… even if you do not itemize.” – Julie

Donor Behavior & Trends

• Surge in DAF grants ahead of tax law changes: $9.9B granted last year, a 28% increase (11:09).
• Simplicity: DAFs centralize tracking—donors only need to record contributions in, not each grant out, streamlining taxes.
  • “One of the beauties of a DAF is that we handle all of the administration for our donors.” – Julie (12:09)
• Technology & Access: All info available online or via mobile (12:09).

Supporting All Charities (Big and Small)

• DAF Giving 360 will work with any charity eligible under IRS rules.
  • “We will give to any charity that's eligible… 54% of our donors gave to new charities last year.” – Julie (12:45)

Advisors’ Role and Intergenerational Giving

• Registered Investment Advisors (RIAs) play a vital role in educating clients (13:21).
  • “80% of our business is with RIAs. Our donors use RIAs and that's a big part of how they… found out about the solution.”
• Succession planning: DAFs can include plans for heirs or other successors to continue granting after a donor’s death.
  • “It's a great way to talk to people within your family. We talk a lot about this intergenerational wealth transfer.” – Julie (14:20)

Final Takeaways

• Emphasis on making philanthropy frictionless—whether through DAFs or direct giving.
• Encouragement for listeners to consider the impact of their giving, however they choose to do it.
  • “It's just important to think about the impact you can have in your local community.” – Julie (15:10)
• For more resources, listeners are pointed to dafgiving360.org.

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• “Sometimes it's just less bad financial decisions.” – Jill (Intro)
• “You could literally put $100 in and have that be your contribution for the year if that's what you choose.” – Julie (06:28)
• “Because you are not subject to that capital gains tax, you can receive as much as 20% more that can be directed to charity.” – Julie (07:15)
• “Over 90% of tax filers do not itemize…latest tax changes allow people to deduct…even if you do not itemize.” – Julie (10:30)
• “It is very easy. It's our goal.” – Julie (12:09)
• “We really want to…make giving easy and accessible. And in fact, last year 54% of our donors gave to new charities.” – Julie (12:45)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Guest Introduction & Julie’s Backstory: 03:28–05:06
• What is a Donor Advised Fund? 05:06–06:28
• Accessibility & Minimums: 06:28–06:47
• Donating Appreciated Securities: 06:47–08:03
• Recent Tax Law Changes: 08:03–10:13
• Standard Deduction Changes: 10:13–11:09
• Behavioral Trends: 11:09–11:39
• Simplicity of DAF Administration: 11:39–12:29
• Supporting New Charities: 12:29–13:14
• Advisor Involvement & DAF Popularity: 13:14–14:00
• Successors & Inheritance: 14:00–14:58
• Final Thoughts: 15:10–15:40

Conclusion

This episode provides a user-friendly overview and actionable insights into donor advised funds, highlighting their flexibility, tax advantages, and accessibility. Whether you are wealthy or just beginning your philanthropic journey, DAFs can serve as a strategic, organized, and impactful tool for giving. Julie Sunwoo’s expertise, combined with Jill’s practical approach, demystifies the process—encouraging all listeners to consider how they might maximize their charitable impact. For deeper dives, listeners are encouraged to explore resources at dafgiving360.org or reach out via jillonmoney.com.