The holidays are here, and that means year’s end – a time when many Rhode Islanders give to their favorite charities – is right around the corner. With just a few weeks remaining in 2017, United Way of Rhode Island (UWRI) has good news for busy donors; the launch of MyFund, a new online giving tool that allows individuals to make a gift before Dec. 31 and take up to a year to choose the charities to receive funds while receiving a tax receipt for the current year. 

Offered exclusively through UWRI, MyFund provides donors a unique “online banking experience” that makes their charitable giving quick, easy, and secure. Creating a MyFund account is free for donors who live or work in Rhode Island.

As people continue to conduct more of their lives online, MyFund was developed to consolidate a donor’s charitable giving into one account while offering more convenience and flexibility than most donor advised funds. A MyFund account can be established with a minimum pledge of $1,000, and donors have until the following December to distribute their funds, in increments as low as $25, to any 501c3 in the country, including schools, universities, and faith organizations. And because all of UWRI’s administrative costs are covered by a permanent trust, MyFund is completely free of fees for donors and for charities, meaning 100 percent of every gift reaches the benefiting charity.

 In addition to its convenience, MyFund provides donors greater control over their philanthropic giving. Donors can add funds to their account, send gifts, track gifts, or look at their giving history and balance at any time using a mobile phone, tablet or desktop computer. The online experience also allows donors to conveniently view and print their charitable giving history. At the end of the year, donors receive a single receipt from United Way for all of their charitable giving.

“One of the things we know is that giving is deeply personal – every donor has a unique story – and it’s our goal to support their philanthropic interests,” said Anthony Maione, president and CEO, United Way of Rhode Island. “Much like one’s own checking account, the donor is in complete control with MyFund, which makes their giving easy, accessible and secure with the flexibility to give to multiple charities at a time and the ability to quickly view a historical snapshot of the organizations they’ve supported in the past.”

The first 250 new MyFund accounts opened will receive an additional $100 from UWRI, to be designated to the donor’s charity of choice. To learn more about UWRI’s exclusive MyFund tool visit www.MyFund.org.