🌱 What's a Donor-Advised Fund?

A donor-advised fund — or DAF — is a simple way to make giving more powerful. Think of it like a savings account for generosity: you put money in, and it goes directly to support nonprofits and projects you care about.

Unlike a traditional nonprofit with staff and overhead, a DAF is lean by design: every dollar that flows in goes straight out as grants. No offices. No salaries. No distractions. Just pure giving, stewarded for impact.

🌼 How a DAF Works Here’s the basic flow, made simple:

1. Contribute → Anyone can give into the fund.

2. Dedicate → Funds are held in the account until they’re ready to be granted.

3. Grant → Money flows out to local nonprofits and initiatives. That’s it. Simple, transparent, efficient.

🌸 Why Onwards Ojai Uses a DAF

Onwards Ojai is structured as a DAF so that we can:

• 🌱 Send 100% of donations directly to grants — not overhead.

• 🌿 Practice immersive philanthropy — not just funding, but volunteering, co-creating, and measuring joy and belonging.

• 🌻 Build trust locally — everyone knows where the money goes: back into Ojai, into the lives of children and families. For our community, this means more than just a financial tool — it means generosity stays close to home.

✨ Why It Matters

DAFs are one of the fastest-growing ways to give in the U.S. because they: • Make giving more transparent.

• Allow donors to be more strategic and flexible.

• Ensure money flows quickly and cleanly into community needs. At Onwards Ojai, this structure helps us do what we believe in most: making childhood sacred again by investing in nourishment, heart & mind, wonder, and purpose.

🌿 The Beginning of Our DAF

Onwards Ojai was born with the purpose of proving what becomes possible when giving is rooted in real community, clear intention, and the right tools. By blending local trust with data, tracking, and technology, Onwards Ojai is showing how philanthropy can be both deeply human and measurably effective.

This is more than writing checks — it’s about creating a living, replicable model for how generosity can bloom. And at this chapter, our focus is on what we believe is the most sacred of all matters: childhood.

The Onwards Ojai DAF is stewarded by Ba Minuzzi — a choice mom, serial entrepreneur, and impact investor who has dedicated her career to aligning capital with purpose. Inspired by the beauty, creativity, and community spirit of Ojai, Ba saw the potential for this town to seed the very first Bloom Zone.