Ren

Ren provides the technology and administration behind donor-advised fund (DAF) programs run by wealth management firms and other financial institutions, and also serves independent advisors, donors, community and faith-based foundations, and charities. The company says its software supports about half of US donor-advised fund assets and more than 150 DAF programs.

Firms can work with Ren in three ways. As referral partners, they send advisors and clients to DAFs held at Renaissance Charitable, Ren's nonprofit partner, while assets stay at the firm until grants are paid. As platform partners, they run a dedicated instance of Ren's giving software with firm-level oversight, program reporting and central cashiering. As branded partners, they put their own name on the software, advisor and client communications and grant letters. Behind each program Ren handles grant processing, digital payments and charity vetting, and it lets advisors keep managing DAF assets with the investments they already use, including alternatives. Besides DAFs, Ren administers charitable remainder and lead trusts, pooled income funds, private foundations and charitable gift annuities.

Ren traces its roots to Renaissance, Inc., set up in 1987 to administer charitable trusts. It took the Ren name after buying Pinkaloo Technologies in 2021, and in 2023 took a strategic investment from Valeas Capital Partners and Bain Capital Tech Opportunities.