ASD and DUTY: 2026 ETFs for autism and veterans

Two exchange-traded funds launched in 2026 combine market exposure with pledged charitable donations. The Defiance Autism Impact ETF (ASD) focuses on companies that provide products and services for people on the autism spectrum and will contribute all profits for two years. The U.S. Defense ETF (DUTY) tracks U.S. defense companies and routes 10% of its management fee revenue to veterans’ causes.

ASD debuted on June 1, 2026, and follows an equal-weighted index of firms in developed markets that support individuals on the autism spectrum. The fund targets companies in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, healthcare services, behavioral health, diagnostics, education and assistive technology. ASD charges a 79 basis-point expense ratio. VettaFi LLC provides the index for ASD and receives a licensing fee; VettaFi is not the issuer, sponsor or seller of the ETF and has no obligations related to issuance, administration, marketing or trading of the fund.

DUTY uses a market-cap-weighted proprietary index of U.S. pure-play defense stocks and charges a 45 basis-point expense ratio. Eligible holdings in the index must derive at least 50% of revenue from military systems, defense technology, logistics and mission support, or cybersecurity infrastructure. The index includes companies such as Palantir Technologies (PLTR). DUTY allocates 10% of its management fee revenue to charities that support U.S. veterans.

Both funds use the ETF structure, which provides intraday liquidity, transparency of holdings and tax characteristics that market participants often cite as more efficient than mutual funds. Fund sponsors have increasingly used ETFs to combine investment strategies with specified charitable commitments while keeping standard ETF features.

These 2026 launches join existing charitable-focused ETFs. The Simplify Healthcare ETF (PINK) donates its net profits to the Susan G. Komen foundation and actively holds roughly 80 to 100 healthcare stocks across biotech, gene therapy and medical devices; it posted a reported three-month return near 18%. The TrueShares RiverNorth Patriot ETF (FLDZ) donates the majority of advisory fees and all management profits to Folds of Honor and charges about 70 basis points.

Donation mechanics differ across the funds. ASD pledges 100% of profits for a limited period after launch, DUTY donates a fixed share of fee revenue, and other philanthropic ETFs route advisory fees or net profits to named charities. Each fund’s screening and index methodology determine which companies qualify for inclusion and the resulting sector exposure investors receive.

All four funds disclose fees, index rules and donation arrangements in their offering documents.