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Advisor/Firm Programest. 2006 · Toronto, ON

Aqueduct Foundation

You can open this if: you're a Scotiatrust (Scotia Wealth Management) client.

For donors already at Scotia Wealth Management. Administered by Scotiatrust as part of the Scotia Wealth relationship. Accepts a wide range of complex assets including real estate, art, and private shares. Capital encroachment permitted.

Built by or for a specific bank or wealth firm. You come in through your existing firm relationship.

Cost calculator

Estimate fees for your scenario. Grants are never reduced by fees — fees apply after each year's granting.

Estimated range
~$20,269 – $23,421
1.50%–1.75% effective · medium confidence
Why a range?
Top ERA rate confirmed at 1.75%. Sliding-scale structure confirmed but tier breakpoints not published. Typical mid-range balances likely land 1.50%-1.75%.

Minimums

To open a DAF$100,000
Per grant$1,000

Granting rules

FrequencyOngoing
Max grants/yearUnlimited
Capital encroachmentPermitted
Disbursement rule4% mandatory annual payout

Assets accepted

  • Cash
  • Public securities
  • Private company shares
  • Real estate
  • Art
  • Life insurance

Scale & activity

From T3010 CRA filing · FYE 2024-12-31

Total DAF assets
$840.2M
Annual grants
$78.7M
Actual payout
9.4%
DAF accounts
645
Avg. account
$1.3M

CRA registration 866087034RR0001. Payout rate is actual grants divided by total assets over the filing period — a real-world indicator that can differ from the provider's stated disbursement policy.

Fee structure

Admin fee tiers

Balance rangeRate
$0K+· Top ERA (Expense Recovery Allocation) rate; tier breakpoints not publicly disclosed1.75%

Uses 'ERA' (Expense Recovery Allocation) terminology. Top rate of 1.75% published. Sliding scale with tier breakpoints not publicly disclosed.

Why this is an estimate

Top ERA rate confirmed at 1.75%. Sliding-scale structure confirmed but tier breakpoints not published. Typical mid-range balances likely land 1.50%-1.75%.

Also consider

Advisor/Firm ProgramIG Wealth Management Charitable Giving Program

For donors already working with IG Wealth Management or IG Private Wealth Management. Keep your IG advisor and stay within the Investors Group fund family while adding a charitable giving account. Shares the Strategic Charitable Giving Foundation infrastructure with the Mackenzie program (both are IGM Financial subsidiaries).

Advisor/Firm ProgramMackenzie Charitable Giving Program

For donors already invested with Mackenzie. Keep your Mackenzie advisor and stay within the Mackenzie fund family while adding a charitable giving account. Ten portfolio options across conservative to growth mandates.

Advisor/Firm ProgramNicola Wealth Private Giving Foundation

For existing Nicola Wealth clients. No additional DAF-specific administration fees; the Foundation's costs are absorbed into the broader wealth management relationship. Legacy advisors assist with charity selection and integrate giving with your financial and tax planning. Note that Nicola Wealth's standard AUM fees (1.25% on the first $1M) apply to the full client portfolio, including DAF assets. Reports $39.5M disbursed to 1,000+ charities across 529 DAFs in 2024.

Data sources

Confidence: Not publicly disclosed · Last verified 2026-04-21

Value proposition authored by WellFunded