Nemos Tree

About Nemos Tree

Where it started, what it is, and where it's going

Not long ago, my mom, dying from pancreatic cancer, suggested that instead of a headstone I would have to fly across the country to visit, I plant a tree for her on our property. So we did, one for her, one for my father, a memorial garden at our home. Every day, without planning a trip or clearing a calendar, we can walk outside and be with them. Presence instead of pilgrimage.

That idea never really left me. [Introduce Nemo here: who he was and what he meant to you.] The animals I've known and loved deserved something like it too, but I don't want to be tending an orchard. The idea of a tree, something living and growing that you return to rather than a single moment that passes and is gone, could still apply. Nemos Tree is that idea. Something that can have impact without being a burden, open to others who want to be part of his story through their own.

Nemo taught me something simple that shapes everything about how this is built, a design principle.

Don't repeat bad behavior. Identify it, learn from it and be better.

Charitable giving, even with the best of intentions, can come with strings nobody asked for: naming rights, a seat on the board, opinions about how a charity should run, a gift held back over a disagreement. Most people who have spent time around a volunteer charity have seen some version of it. Nemos Tree is built to hold itself to a different standard.

That standard works in two parts. Before a gift, there is care. Charities and programs are chosen on shared values and the best information available at the time, and donations are scheduled with the goals of Nemos Tree in mind. After a gift, there are no strings. The fund and its contributors expect nothing back, with no naming rights, no board seats and no say in how the charity operates. You give because you want to help, not because you want something in return. That is what I mean by ego-less giving: giving as a group, memorializing loved ones now and building the ability to support causes in the future, as a community.

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What Nemos Tree Is

Nemos Tree is a donor-advised fund (DAF) built on a simple idea: donations should go toward something, not just out the door once and be gone. Every dollar given here does one of two things. It goes directly to a chosen charity as a group, or it goes into the Trunk, money that stays invested and grows so its earnings can fund recurring grants and/or a specific charity program later.

The whole structure follows from the tree metaphor.

The Trunk is the future. It's the long-term money, growing quietly, patiently, meant to eventually become something defined and lasting. A standing commitment to a specific cause, a recurring grant, a real partnership with an organization doing the work already. The Trunk is where the bigger vision lives in the goal of helping animals in an ongoing, structural way, not just writing a check once and hoping it did some good. Building and growing strong to provide consistently in the future.
The branches are the present. Each branch belongs to someone honoring a pet, a parent, a person they've lost, on their own timeline, in their own way. Once a year, that branch's memorial donation is matched by every other branch in the tree, a small, quiet act of shared compassion between people who may never meet, live in the same city or even know each other's names. No branch is ever pruned for running dry. It just waits, still part of the tree, until there's something in it again.

Together, they tell one story: the present cared for gently and the future being built toward something bigger.

Phase 1 is real and already in motion, with efforts to start Phase 2 in 2027.

Why It's Built This Way

Nemos Tree is built on a donor-advised fund rather than a new nonprofit, for practical reasons:

No new structure to build. No legal filings, no board creation or by-laws and no annual tax return for Nemos Tree itself.
Start right away. Daffy, a donor-advised fund provider, charges a flat monthly membership instead of a percentage of assets, which keeps costs low and predictable.
Anyone can contribute. Contributors fund their own free Daffy account and then transfer their contribution to Nemos Tree, with a $20 minimum.
Fund dollars can grow. DAFs allow investments based on the provider and total fund amount. Over time, the dollars set aside for support will grow and compound, allowing the Trunk to become the recurring gift engine of the future.

This is meant to be a very simple and efficient means of charity donation to animal related causes. It is not like a school fundraiser, basket social or walkathon, where a chunk of every dollar disappears into planning, buying or preparing for the charity event. No new nonprofit, no middleman fundraising company taking a cut in between, no overpriced popcorn, wrapping paper or unsolicited address labels. Administrative costs, kept minimal, will be paid by the Nemos Tree Advisor, or in the future, by a defined process.

There's also a quieter benefit that matters more than it might seem. Donations made through Nemos Tree go out under the fund's name, not the individual's name. The receiving charity never learns who you are personally, which means no follow-up calls, no repeat mailings, no requests for more money on someone else's timetable. As someone who has spent years fielding solicitations addressed to deceased parents, I know what it feels like to be reminded, out of context, of their loss from random requests for money.

To be clear about what stays private: contributors and branch stewards are not identified to the charity, but the fund itself is not anonymous by default. Donations will show as from Nemos Tree along with the Nemos Tree Advisor as the organizer of the account.

The Vision

The real goal is to create a charity entity that can provide sustainable support in the future for animal based charities, like a foundation or family trust, using the wealth and growth over the years to provide help in the future. This is the big vision, though challenging and often seen as only possible for the super wealthy or from inherited wealth.

Building a Trunk over time whose earnings can pay for lasting support while the Trunk itself stays intact is an idea that I strongly believe in and is the key financial principle behind Nemos Tree. I have seen how my own individual investments, built over time, work as an income engine for expenses, so doing the same for charitable purposes is realistic and not that difficult. The two challenges are building the Trunk while minimizing expenses and fees.

My hope is to grow the Trunk until its earnings can sponsor charity support through grants, campaigns or regular donations. Without a Trunk that keeps working, support will only last as long as the money does, meaning constantly needing contributions.

This is not a new idea. Foundations and trusts are very common. The cost to set up, run and maintain a foundation or trust is one of the main reasons why smaller entities never happen. Nemos Tree is different from just donating to a large foundation or charity in that contributors get to shape donations from Nemos Tree, while helping to build the future Trunk that can fund a recurring grant or donation. By keeping expenses and fees to a minimum, contributions are fully applied to each individual's desired goal at Nemos Tree.

Planting Nemos Tree, the starting point, is having a community of individuals that share this vision by participating in the charity donating opportunities defined by Nemos Tree, growing the Trunk for future plans and offering feedback and ideas to make Nemos Tree a better and bigger entity. I know the long term picture of recurring grants and donations has to be built slowly and with a community to be effective.

My goals for Nemos Tree:

Direct money toward causes I actually believe in, on a regular schedule to memorialize loved ones
Build the Trunk to help generate recurring donations in the future
Bring people together to donate as a group, compounding the dollars involved
Verify that a DAF structure can be a dedicated donation entity
Get the benefit of donating appreciated stock instead of selling it and giving cash

Zooming out further, I don't have children to leave a legacy to in the usual sense. What I do have is the chance to build something worth leaving instead, an entity I can spend the rest of my life helping grow and eventually hand part of my estate to, knowing the money will be used to support charities in need in a manner I know aligns with my thoughts and ideals, and keeps working long after I'm not the one steering it.

That's the honest scale of the ambition here. Not a foundation overnight, not a gala, not a name on a building. Just a tree, planted carefully, tended patiently, meant to outlast the person who planted it.

Nemos Tree is my attempt to create something bigger than just support today. That being said, if it is too much work, more expensive than the results or has personality problems, then my estate planning will handle things properly without needing to create something new. However, why not try and see what can be created.

Disclaimers

What every contributor should know

The rules that govern any donor-advised fund, and how they apply to Nemos Tree specifically.

Irrevocable. Money given to a DAF is irrevocable. Once it goes in, it can't come back out to any individual and can only go to charity. When you fund your personal Daffy account, that money can only go to charity, including another Daffy fund such as Nemos Tree. Once you transfer it to Nemos Tree, it is no longer yours to direct. Once stock or cash is in the account, it legally belongs to Daffy as the sponsoring charity, held for eventual grants to other charities. It cannot be returned, converted to personal use or taken back.
Anonymity from the charity's side. Donations go out under Nemos Tree through Daffy.org, not your name. The charity has no record of you individually, so there are no follow-ups (email, callers or junk mail) to individuals. Nobody comes back asking for more on their own timetable.
Tax benefit goes to the individual. Contributors receive their tax deduction, if they can use one, when they fund their own Daffy account, since that gift is made to Daffy, the sponsoring charity. The later transfer from a personal Daffy account to Nemos Tree, and any donation Nemos Tree makes to a charity, are not tax events. They don't create a second deduction and they aren't reported separately. The deduction belongs to the individual who funded the account, for the year the account was funded, and Daffy's records are what document it, not Nemos Tree. Nobody else, including Nemos Tree, receives a tax benefit from any of these gifts.
A tax deduction isn't guaranteed. Most people take the standard deduction now, which means a cash donation may not actually reduce your taxes at all. Donating appreciated stock instead of cash can still help even without itemizing, since you avoid the capital gains you'd owe if you sold it yourself. Talk to a CPA about your specific situation.
2026 non-itemized deduction. The new deduction for cash contributions to a charity ($1,000 per individual, $2,000 per couple) for returns that do not itemize does not apply to contributions to a DAF, and therefore does not apply to Nemos Tree.
Operational process. The Nemos Tree Advisor, the role held by Nemos Tree's originator, is the only one who can authorize donations from Nemos Tree. All money contributed is part of the DAF. There is no sub-dividing money into buckets on Daffy. Nemos Tree documentation defines certain roles and plans, which the Advisor follows and tracks outside of Daffy, and communicates to contributors. The method of communication is still being defined.
Yearly contribution. There is no limit to the total dollar amount contributed to Nemos Tree per year or in total. The totals do impact the membership monthly fee that Daffy charges.
Shared growth. Any income the pooled funds earn becomes part of the Trunk. If the fund grows through interest, dividends or gains, that growth isn't tracked back to any individual. It becomes part of the Trunk.
Grants can only go to IRS-qualified public charities. No individuals, no personal fundraisers and no organizations that aren't actually registered 501(c)(3)s. Daffy members can see the listed charities that are available and can request to add a charity if needed.
No "more than incidental benefit." DAF grants cannot be used for anything that gives the donor something back, like a gala ticket that includes dinner, or paying off a pledge someone already legally committed to elsewhere. This applies to Nemos Tree.
Charity conflict of interest. If you have a personal or professional relationship with the charity chosen for your donation (board membership, a paid staff role, volunteering, or other), Nemos Tree asks that you disclose it. In most cases this would not be an issue, but in an effort to follow the DAF rules and Nemos Tree philosophy, disclosing up front is requested. All efforts will be made to avoid any self-dealing donations, real or perceived.
Not legal, tax or financial advice. All documents for Nemos Tree are written by the Nemos Tree Advisor, who is not a lawyer, accountant or financial advisor. Nothing written should be taken as legal, tax or financial advice. Refer to your own legal, tax and financial advisors to understand how this will impact your situation, especially around stock gift valuation and deduction limits, since there are AGI-based caps on how much of a donation can be deducted in a given year.

Ways to Take Part

Four ways to give

Everyone contributes the same way, through Daffy.org (see How It Works on Daffy). What differs is what the contribution is for.

Branch Stewardship

Honor a pet, a parent or another loved one with a branch of your own.

Funds for this branch are directed by you, following the rules of Nemos Tree.

Each branch steward will get one donation per year from Nemos Tree to honor their pet(s). With this donation, all other branch stewards will match the donation based on their selected dollar amount, thus increasing the final donation to the branch's selected charity.

Branch stewards match every branch donation while their branch has funds. When becoming a branch steward, you decide on the dollar amount that will be used for each match. If funds run out for a branch, no match or donations will be made. There is no future state donation tracking, so you will not be asked to contribute more money for a donation.

Branch steward matching is required so that each memorial donation is honored as a group in the same way. There are no exclusions, just a consistent group action each time. A connected and compassionate moment for all stewards shared together.

When setting up a branch, the steward will specify the amount that they would match for their named branch, the charity, when to donate and the matching amount for other branches. The total number of branches will be shared for the form to calculate donation amount needed. Each year, stewards will be reminded to check on the "health" of their branch.

Branch Steward Profile:

Branch name: pet(s) and/or family name
The amount they want to donate in honor of their pet (once per year)
The charity to donate to on their behalf
When the donation should be made
The amount they want to match donate for all other branches
The amount they want to add to the Trunk (optional)
Conflict of interest (COI) disclosure: any role with the charity, paid or unpaid, or none

Becoming a branch steward, one would add up the totals and contribute that total to Nemos Tree through their Daffy account (see How It Works on Daffy), then email the Stewardship form. The behind-the-scenes documentation would get updated with their profile and contribution.

Example — assume 11 branches (N stewards)

Branch name: Mira
Charity: Petco Foundation
Donation amount: $100
Match amount: $10
Trunk amount: $25
COI: None

Mira's donation: $100
10 matching donations (N−1 matching): $100
Trunk: $25
Total (join or update): $225

Behind the scenes, each branch will have a running total of dollars donated. As branch memorials are matched, the tracking for each branch will be updated. If there is money leftover, it stays in the branch's balance and will be used for either future matches, the annual individual memorial or one-time branch steward specified donation. If the branch does not have the funds at the time of a match, it will be skipped. There will be no forced matching for a steward that could cause a negative balance.

Nemos Tree is hoping to have 10 to 12 branches at some point. Easy math and planning, plus small enough to make every match be more meaningful to all stewards and their families.

If someone needs to depart from Nemos Tree, they will be offered a choice of what to do with their branch fund amount: donate all to a charity of their choice, add to the Trunk, or continue matching until empty. It's honestly up to them, always. Clear and consistent, this will always be a core tenet of Nemos Tree.

If a branch's funds are empty, the branch will stay with Nemos Tree. Donations and matches will not be taken from that branch since there are no available funds. The branch will not be removed or pruned from Nemos Tree. Memorializing our loved ones should not be a financial burden to anyone.

Trunk Contribution

Give directly to the Trunk, the long-term money that stays invested so its earnings can fund future giving. There is no branch, no matching and no schedule. This is for people who believe in what Nemos Tree is building and want to help it grow.

Directed Gift

A one-time contribution that Nemos Tree donates to a specific charity, reason and time that you choose. People use it to stay anonymous to the charity, to remember someone in lieu of flowers, or to build a campaign others can match. The full amount goes to the charity unless you say otherwise. An optional separate contribution to the Trunk is welcome if Nemos Tree helps run a campaign, but it is never required.

Memorial Wall

A lighter way to remember a pet without the commitment of a branch. Make a one-time contribution, send a photo and a few lines about your pet, and they're added to the Memorial Wall. There is no matching and no yearly renewal. Specific details are still being worked out.

See the Memorial Wall ↓

Memorial Wall

Leaves on the Tree

Each leaf remembers a pet whose family gave in their honor. A different selection appears every time this page loads.

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How It Works on Daffy

The mechanics of giving through Daffy

Why Daffy

Nemos Tree is a donor-advised fund (DAF) held at Daffy.org, a DAF provider and charity. Daffy was chosen because larger providers cost more per year, especially as the total fund grows. Daffy charges a monthly membership fee based on the fund's tier. The Nemos Tree Advisor pays that fee for Nemos Tree, and contributors pay nothing as long as their own Daffy account balance stays under $100 when monthly billing happens (the free tier Daffy calls Supporter).

Nemos Tree has one Organizer on Daffy, the Nemos Tree Advisor, and everything on the account is tied to that role. Daffy separately offers Members, who can view activity and request donations, and a Daffy role it also calls Advisors, who can act on the Organizer's behalf. To avoid confusing the two, this page always writes out "the Nemos Tree Advisor" in full when referring to the person running Nemos Tree. Nemos Tree is not adding Members or Daffy Advisors to begin with. Contributing doesn't require either one, and Daffy's screens for Members are confusing. Updates will come by email and on the web page instead. Membership may open up later, once the process is documented.

How to Contribute

Everyone contributes to Nemos Tree through their own Daffy account. There is no other way to contribute to a fund on Daffy, apart from naming it as an estate beneficiary. Moving money from your account to Nemos Tree is a transfer between two Daffy funds (DAF to DAF). It does not make you a Member of Nemos Tree.

Create an account at daffy.org. It's free and linked to your email.
Contribute (fund) your account from the options Daffy offers, then wait until the money is available.
Send funds to Nemos Tree:
- In the top right corner, search for "Nemos Tree."
- Select the People tab, then select Nemos Tree.
- Check that it's Nemos Tree by looking at the fund info and photos.
- Click Send Funds.
- Enter the amount (Daffy has a $20 minimum).
- Add a general note, then send the specifics by email.
- Click Next, check the details, and click Submit.
Email Nemos Tree at nemostreedaf@gmail.com to say what your contribution is for.
Keep your balance under $100. If your account balance is over $100 at the end of the month, or whenever your monthly membership renews, Daffy moves you to its paid tier ($3 a month at the time of writing). Send your funds to Nemos Tree as soon as they're available, and avoid doing it at the end of the month in case of delays. You can keep your Daffy account open for future contributions without a fee as long as the balance stays under $100.

What Your Contribution Is For

Nemos Tree has several ways to take part, so your email should say which one yours is.

Branch Stewardship: send the Stewardship form by email.
Trunk Contribution: no form needed.
Directed Gift: send the Directed Gift form by email.
Memorial Wall: send a photo and a few lines about your pet.
Admin: to help cover the cost of running Nemos Tree, just say so in your email.

If no note comes through, the Nemos Tree Advisor will try to find out what the contribution was intended for. If that isn't possible, the contribution goes to the Trunk.

How Nemos Tree Donates

Only the Nemos Tree Advisor, as Daffy's Organizer, authorizes donations from Nemos Tree. Donations are scheduled, and planned donations are announced so everyone involved can see them. A donation is not instant like a bank transfer, because Daffy has to verify that the charity exists and whether it takes direct deposit or a check. Until it completes, the Organizer can cancel it.

Donations show the Advisor's name along with Nemos Tree and any message that goes with the donation. Daffy requires the Organizer's name for legal reasons. The goal is for each donation to read as coming from Nemos Tree as much as possible, since tying a personal name to the donations was never the intention. Ego-less giving is a core tenet. Daffy also offers a fully private donation, not expected to be used for Nemos Tree itself, but it could be used for a Directed Gift when requested.

For memorial donations and Directed Gifts, Nemos Tree can use a Daffy campaign to build awareness of a planned donation. The campaign link can be shared on other platforms so that others can add to the donation, with the goal of raising more for the charity being supported. A secondary benefit is finding people who may be interested in Nemos Tree and its process.

Tracking and Staying Informed

Daffy doesn't track contributions at the level Nemos Tree needs, by type, activity and campaign, so the Nemos Tree Advisor will track them manually outside of Daffy. The goal is to be transparent about all of it while keeping it simple enough that it isn't a full-time job. How the tracking is shared with contributors is still being decided, and a shared Google drive or workgroup is the likely first step. Donations will be announced on the Nemos Tree web page and on the planned Facebook page, and logged below as they happen.

Donation Log

Where the gifts have gone

A running record of grants made from Nemos Tree over time.

Grants made from Nemos Tree, most recent first.
Date	Amount	Recipient	In Honor Of / Reason
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FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What is a donor-advised fund (DAF)?

A donor-advised fund is a charitable giving account held at a sponsoring organization, in Nemos Tree's case, Daffy. When someone contributes to a DAF, the gift is immediate, irrevocable and tax-deductible to them right away. The money then sits in the fund until the account's advisor recommends grants, donations, to actual charities, at which point the sponsoring organization sends the money out.

Think of it like a charitable checking account: money goes in and the deduction happens immediately, but the giving out happens later, on the advisor's own timeline, to whichever qualified charities they choose.

A few things worth knowing about how a DAF works in practice:

Once money is contributed, it can't be taken back for personal use. It's committed to charity permanently.
Only qualified public charities can receive grants from a DAF, not individuals or personal causes.
The person who contributes gets their tax deduction the moment they give, not when the money is eventually granted out to a charity.
A DAF can have one advisor or several, but only advisors can recommend where the money goes. Members can typically see the fund's activity without having that authority.

What is the difference between Contributions and Donations?

Contributions — for Nemos Tree (a DAF), contributions are tax-deductible monetary additions to the donor-advised fund entity (in this case Daffy.org). Individuals contribute to their personal Daffy account then send funds to Nemos Tree from that account. Contributions to any DAF are considered a charitable contribution for the individual and are irrevocable.

Donations — for Nemos Tree (a DAF), donations are approved gifts from Nemos Tree to a designated charity. The gift amount is determined by the rules of Nemos Tree and can only be directed to 501(c)(3) charities available from the provider's platform.

Contributions flow in from individuals to Daffy, then are sent to Nemos Tree. Donations flow out to charities from Nemos Tree.

What is the investment strategy? How are investments selected?

Daffy offers several different portfolios for DAF investment using low cost and reliable ETFs. As membership level goes up, the investment choice can include owning stock and ETFs (only after $50K and Benefactor Tier membership). Regardless of the tier and total fund amount, investment strategy will be a balanced option for growth that minimizes risk. The goal is to have the funds grow over time, but not be so aggressive or leading edge that it would put the funds at risk. As Nemos Tree grows, the investment strategy can be reviewed. In the beginning, because of the membership tier and total fund value, the Standard Growth portfolio (75/25 split of stocks and bonds) from Daffy will be used. When Nemos Tree can own stocks and ETFs, the strategy will be reviewed and updated accordingly.

The goal is to grow the funds over time, minimizing risk. The financial markets have volatility over time, and the investment choices will be made by the Nemos Tree Advisor with this in mind. However, a drop in price and value can happen, and unless obviously shown otherwise, the Advisor is not responsible.

Can others contribute to a branch on behalf of the steward?

Yes, but individuals will need to specify the details or send a completed Branch Profile document indicating additional support for that branch. It will require a few manual steps by everyone involved, because there's no sub-grouping of funds for a DAF at Daffy. Nemos Tree has to manage and document the various contributions and donations as part of the expected internal tracking needed.

The process is the same as any contribution, but should indicate that it's being made as part of an existing branch, so it's tracked correctly. It's recommended to email the branch name and intention for documentation purposes. DAF-to-DAF contributions have a $20 minimum, set by Daffy, so anyone contributing for an existing branch needs to contribute $20 or more.

What are the Daffy limits?

$10 minimum contribution (individual account)
$20 minimum for a DAF-to-DAF donation
$18 minimum donation to a charity — Nemos Tree recommends a $20 minimum to keep the math simple
24 DAF members allowed under the Family tier membership ($5/month), with up to 2 organizers and 3 advisors
No total contribution limit, though total account value changes the membership tier level

How are the fees from Daffy paid?

Each account at Daffy is charged a monthly fee based on total value, number of members, and whether there's stock donated or owned. The fee is paid out of the DAF itself, from the funds available. For the Nemos Tree account, admin costs will be paid by the Nemos Tree Advisor until the fund is large enough for stock transfers and additional administrative members. When that time arrives, fee payment will be discussed and documented. Until then, the Advisor will contribute money to Nemos Tree specifically for the admin costs, tracked internally like any other contribution. If someone else would like to contribute to the admin bucket, they should just notify their intention when contributing.

How does Nemos Tree comply with DAF donation regulations?

DAF regulations require that any donation from a DAF have no personal benefits, the "no more than incidental benefit" rule, meaning free of any implied or actual gains by the contributor. Since Nemos Tree is a community of contributors, every attempt will be made to avoid personal benefit to contributors. A conflict of interest (COI) disclosure is included for contribution profiles or requests that direct a donation to a specific charity. The goal isn't to restrict donations, but to make sure the DAF regulations are complied with properly. Being a volunteer at a shelter is very different from being a staff or board member for the same shelter or charity. As Nemos Tree grows, so will the documentation and processes.

Who runs Nemos Tree?

Nemos Tree is run by the Nemos Tree Advisor, the same person who holds the Organizer role on the Daffy account and is the only one who can authorize donations out of the fund. The Advisor writes and maintains all of Nemos Tree's documentation and is reachable directly at nemostreedaf@gmail.com.

How do I contact Nemos Tree?

Email nemostreedaf@gmail.com.

Still Being Worked Out

Open questions

These are known open questions, to be decided with input from the first stewards and contributors.

Renewal: whether stewards add to their branch from year to year or fund several years up front.
Adding branches: how and when new branches join so existing stewards know what to expect. Fixed join windows are the current idea.
Growth past ten: how matching works once there are more than ten other branches. A smaller match amount per branch is the current idea.
Donation dates: how scheduling works as the number of branches grows.
Memorial Wall: the minimum amount and how it works.
Sharing the tracking: how contribution and donation tracking is shared with contributors.
Succession: what happens to Nemos Tree and its Daffy account if the Nemos Tree Advisor can no longer run it.
Professional review: a conversation with a CPA or estate attorney once Nemos Tree is running.

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Contact Us

Get in touch

Email & Links

The best way to reach Nemos Tree is by email.

nemostreedaf@gmail.com
Facebook page — coming soon

How to Give

Every contribution to Nemos Tree goes through Daffy. See How to Contribute for the full steps, from creating a free Daffy account to sending funds to Nemos Tree.

Not sure which way to give fits best? Email nemostreedaf@gmail.com and the Nemos Tree Advisor will help you figure it out.