Author: Jay Perdue
Donor-advised funds (DAFs) are no longer a niche giving vehicle reserved for wealthy philanthropists writing six-figure checks. They’re increasingly part of everyday charitable giving—and if your nonprofit isn’t actively thinking about DAF donors, you may be overlooking an important source of support.
That makes DAF Day on October 8 a timely reminder to take a closer look.
Launched in 2024 by Chariot, a financial technology company focused on DAF giving, DAF Day brings donors, nonprofits and DAF providers together around one coordinated day of giving. But whether or not your organization actively participates in DAF Day, the bigger opportunity is making sure donors can easily support your mission through their donor-advised funds—not just on October 8, but throughout the year.
DAFs Aren’t Just for Major Gifts
There’s a persistent perception that DAFs belong primarily in the major-gift conversation. The numbers tell a different story. According to the DAF Fundraising Report from Chariot and K2D Strategies, 67% of DAF gifts are under $1,000.
That means DAF donors may already be part of your annual giving program. Some may have supported your organization for years through other channels and simply haven’t been asked—or shown how—to give from their DAF.
For nonprofits, the opportunity isn’t necessarily to create an entirely new fundraising program. It starts with recognizing DAF giving as another way your existing donors may choose to support your mission.
Start With the Donors You Already Have
Before looking for new DAF donors, look at your own records. Review your gift history for grants received from organizations such as Fidelity Charitable, Schwab Charitable, Vanguard Charitable, community foundations and other DAF sponsors. Then make sure those gifts are connected in your CRM to the individuals who recommended them whenever that information is available.
This is important. The check may come from a sponsoring organization, but there may be a loyal donor behind it. Knowing who your DAF donors are allows you to thank them appropriately, understand their relationship with your organization and include DAF giving in future conversations.
Make DAF Giving Easy to Find
If a donor visits your website today, would they know that you accept DAF gifts?
Don’t make them search for the answer. Consider including donor-advised funds on your Ways to Give page and providing simple instructions for recommending a grant. You can also provide your organization’s legal name, EIN and other information a donor may need to find you through a DAF provider.
Some nonprofits also offer an online DAF giving tool. Chariot’s DAFpay is one option and is integrated with a number of fundraising platforms, but it isn’t the only way to receive DAF gifts. The important thing is to make the process clear and convenient for your donors.
Talk About DAFs—Before Donors Think to Ask
Many donors may not realize that their DAF is a resource they can use for year-end giving.Mention DAFs alongside other giving options in emails, newsletters, direct mail and year-end communications. A simple reminder—“Have a donor-advised fund? You can recommend a grant to support our mission.”—may be all it takes.
And don’t limit the conversation to donors you already know have a DAF. If you’re communicating only with known DAF donors, you may miss supporters who opened an account recently or have never used theirs to support your organization.
Thank DAF Donors the Right Way
Good stewardship still matters when the gift arrives through a DAF. When donor information accompanies the grant, thank the individual who recommended it and record that relationship in your donor database. Your acknowledgment should recognize the donor for recommending the grant rather than treating the payment as a new tax-deductible contribution from the individual.
The donor generally received the charitable deduction when assets were originally contributed to the DAF, so your thank-you should not provide another tax receipt for the DAF grant. That distinction may seem small, but getting it right demonstrates that your organization understands this increasingly common form of philanthropy.
How to Make the Most of DAF Day
DAF Day can be a useful moment to put donor-advised funds on your donors’ radar—but that doesn’t mean October 8 needs to become another major giving campaign on your calendar. Instead, use the day as a timely reason to educate donors about an option they may already have available to them. A social post, email or website message can remind supporters that DAF grants are an easy way to put charitable dollars they’ve already set aside to work for the causes they care about.
It’s also an opportunity to make DAF giving more visible. Consider highlighting DAFs on your Ways to Give page, sharing simple instructions for recommending a grant, or including DAF giving alongside other options in your October communications. If you choose to participate in the broader DAF Day campaign, Chariot offers free resources and promotional materials nonprofits can use—but participation doesn’t require making Chariot or any particular giving platform the focus of your message.
Most importantly, think beyond a single day. The goal isn’t to promote a particular platform or turn October 8 into another fundraising obligation. It’s to remove friction between donors who have already set aside charitable dollars and the organizations they want to support.
Used that way, DAF Day becomes less about launching another campaign and more about building awareness—awareness that can continue paying dividends throughout your year-end fundraising and well beyond October 8.
Keep DAF Giving Visible Through Year-End
The timing of DAF Day couldn’t be better. October 8 arrives just as most nonprofits are moving into the most important fundraising months of the year. Use it as a reason to identify your existing DAF donors, update your website and prepare DAF-specific messaging for year-end. Then carry that visibility through GivingTuesday and December.
Your year-end communications don’t need to become about donor-advised funds. DAF giving simply needs to be one of the options donors consistently see alongside online gifts, checks, stock gifts and other ways to support your organization.
As a handy reference tool, download the free DAF Readiness Checklist to help you and your team keep DAF giving visible from DAF Day to the end of the year.
