Altruist, the Los Angeles wealth technology and custody platform for financial advisers, added donor-advised funds to its platform on 6 October 2026. Altruist donor-advised funds have no minimums for opening an account, holding a balance or making a grant, and fees begin at 50 basis points a year, according to the company’s release, which puts typical sponsor fees at 60 to 65 basis points.

How Altruist donor-advised funds work

A donor-advised fund lets a client give cash or appreciated securities to a sponsoring charity, take the tax deduction in the year of the gift, and recommend grants to other charities over time. On Altruist, an adviser opens one like any other account, can move an existing fund over in two steps, and sees it in the client’s household view next to the rest of their assets. Clients can recommend grants themselves from the Altruist app, from a list of more than 1.8 million eligible charities.

The sponsor of Altruist donor-advised funds is Endaoment, a public charity registered under section 501(c)(3) that legally owns the assets and is the customer of record. Contributions are irrevocable, and grant and investment recommendations are advisory and subject to Endaoment’s approval. Altruist Financial LLC provides custody and brokerage.

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Why investment choice is the point

Many donor-advised fund sponsors limit investments to a fixed menu of pooled funds. Altruist donor-advised funds can be invested in any model on Altruist’s marketplace, including custom portfolios and personalized indexing. For an adviser, that means a client’s charitable money can stay in the same strategy, under the same management, as the rest of the household’s assets.

This is where the money is for advisers. When a client gives a large block of appreciated stock to a sponsor with its own investment menu, the adviser usually stops managing those assets. Keeping them on the platform keeps them in the adviser’s book. Founder and chief executive Jason Wenk framed the launch around client experience, calling giving “one of the most personal things a client does with their advisor.” For the adviser, it also protects revenue.

Why the 50 basis point figure needs context

The fee comparison is favourable, but only at the starting point. Altruist says fees “start at” 50 basis points, and the release does not publish the full schedule or say what drives an account above that rate. Clients also need to know whether their adviser charges an advisory fee on the donor-advised fund assets on top of the platform fee, since that can matter more than the sponsor charge. Advisers comparing Altruist donor-advised funds with large sponsors should ask for the all-in cost.

Altruist has been adding features to keep advisers on one platform, from alternatives to AI planning tools. It also counts newer firms among its clients, including Arca, the AI-native wealth manager that Fintechbits covered when Arca raised $64 million. Competition for adviser custody is intense, as Fintechbits noted when Amplify plugged into Goldman Sachs custody.

What to Watch Next on Altruist Donor-Advised Funds

The key signal is whether advisers move existing client funds from large sponsors to Altruist, which the two-step transfer process is designed to encourage. Watch for Altruist to publish asset figures for the product in 2027, and for its full fee schedule. If advisers use the feature mainly for new gifts and leave older funds where they are, the product will help Altruist win new households rather than take assets from established sponsors.

Questions and answers

Does Altruist offer donor-advised funds?

Yes. Altruist added donor-advised funds to its adviser platform on 6 October 2026, sponsored by Endaoment, a public charity registered under section 501(c)(3), and with no minimums on opening, balances or grants.

How much do Altruist donor-advised funds cost?

Altruist puts its starting fee at 50 basis points a year, compared with the 60 to 65 basis points it says other sponsors typically charge. It has not published the full fee schedule.

Can clients choose how their Altruist donor-advised fund is invested?

Altruist donor-advised funds can be invested in any model on Altruist’s marketplace, including custom portfolios and personalized indexing, with recommendations subject to Endaoment’s approval.