I am curious how many Mustachians here have made use of Donor Advised Funds? They seem really tailor-made for early retirees. One problem I frequently run into is that my preferred giving opportunities don't always line up perfectly with the optimal tax deduction timing. For example, some charities like to have annual donation commitments to make it easier for them to budget, but some years I am not going to itemize my deductions, potentially wasting the tax benefit of a donation. Donor Advised Funds allow you to donate when it makes sense for your taxes, and then send the money on to a particular charity of your choice any time in the future.
Vanguard offers these DAFs with their standard suite of low-fee investment options:
https://www.vanguardcharitable.org/resource_center/giving_option_dafI think this can be particularly useful in your last few years before FIRE. With the low post-retirement expense of most Mustachians, you are unlikely to get any tax benefit from post-FIRE donations. If you fund your DAF during the highest earning years of your career, you can capture the tax benefit up front, and donate the funds later to any 501(c)(3) charity during your FIRE years. If altruistic giving is a personal goal for you, and you don't want to donate unnecessary funds to the tax man, this vehicle is a godsend.
Has anybody else here made use of a DAF? What was your experience?