Nicola Wealth Private Giving Foundation
You can open this if: you're a Nicola Wealth advisors client.
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.
Cost calculator
Estimate fees for your scenario. Grants are never reduced by fees — fees apply after each year's granting.
See year-by-year breakdown
| Year | Contribution | Growth | Granted | Fees | End balance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $100,000 | $5,000 | $5,250 | $2,747 | $97,003 |
| 2 | $10,000 | $5,350 | $5,618 | $2,834 | $103,901 |
| 3 | $10,000 | $5,695 | $5,980 | $2,920 | $110,696 |
| 4 | $10,000 | $6,035 | $6,337 | $3,005 | $117,390 |
| 5 | $10,000 | $6,369 | $6,688 | $3,088 | $123,983 |
| 6 | $10,000 | $6,699 | $7,034 | $3,171 | $130,477 |
| 7 | $10,000 | $7,024 | $7,375 | $3,252 | $136,875 |
| 8 | $10,000 | $7,344 | $7,711 | $3,331 | $143,176 |
| 9 | $10,000 | $7,659 | $8,042 | $3,410 | $149,383 |
| 10 | $10,000 | $7,969 | $8,368 | $3,487 | $155,497 |
Minimums
No published DAF-specific minimum. Requires being a Nicola Wealth client, which has a $500,000 minimum investable assets threshold.
Granting rules
Assets accepted
- Cash
- Public securities
- Private company shares
- Life insurance
Scale & activity
From T3010 CRA filing · FYE 2024-12-31
- Total DAF assets
- $364.5M
- Annual grants
- $39.5M
- Actual payout
- 10.8%
- DAF accounts
- 567
- Avg. account
- $642,904
CRA registration 889542395RR0001. 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 range | Rate |
|---|---|
| $0K+· No additional DAF-specific fees; covered by Nicola Wealth's AUM fees on the client's broader portfolio | 0.00% |
Investment fee tiers
| Balance range | Rate |
|---|---|
| $0K – $1M· Nicola Wealth AUM fee on first $1M (standard advisor schedule) | 1.25% |
| $1M+· Blended AUM rate across Nicola's entire client base (actual tiers above $1M not publicly disclosed) | 0.85% |
Nicola Wealth absorbs all DAF administration into the broader wealth management relationship. There are no additional DAF-specific fees. However, Nicola Wealth's AUM fees do apply to the full client portfolio including DAF assets: 1.25% on the first $1M, with a blended average of 0.85% across Nicola's entire client base. Underlying fund/LP operating expenses apply separately. Requires being an existing Nicola Wealth client (minimum $500K investable assets).
Also consider
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 ProgramFor 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 ProgramTD Private Giving FoundationFor donors already banking with TD. Keep your existing TD Wealth relationship and add a charitable giving account alongside it. The only major Canadian bank that operates its own in-house charitable foundation, rather than using a third-party wholesale provider.
Data sources
Confidence: Inferred from available info · Last verified 2026-04-21
Value proposition authored by WellFunded