Expert articles, research, and analysis on donor-advised funds, charitable giving trends, and tax-smart philanthropy.
Everything you need to know about DAFs in today's charitable landscape. We break down how they work, who they're for, the latest trends, tax changes, and mistakes to avoid. This is the most comprehensive DAF guide available from an independent source.
Beyond the name and website, learn what questions to ask, what metrics matter, and how to separate truly effective organizations from those just good at marketing.
A deep dive into latest data on giving patterns. Which causes are seeing the most growth? What's driving giving behavior shifts? How do DAF grants compare to traditional philanthropy?
Selling a company is one of the rare windows for tax-optimized giving. Learn why timing matters, how to structure it, and what mistakes business owners make.
Donating appreciated stock instead of cash can increase your effective giving by 20–30%. We break down exactly how it works and why it's the go-to strategy for savvy donors.
How to fund a DAF that your heirs can manage for decades. We explore the strategies, values alignment, and tax benefits of multi-gen giving.
For wealth professionals: how to integrate DAF conversations into your practice. Includes client conversation frameworks and case studies from top advisors.
The numbers behind donor-advised funds
Total assets under management in U.S. donor-advised funds. This has nearly doubled in the last 10 years.
Active DAF accounts in the United States. Average account size: $147K. Median: $38K.
Annual charitable grants from DAFs. Growing at 23% year-over-year on average.
Average annual grant growth. DAFs are becoming the preferred vehicle for strategic, multi-year giving.
$13.0B in annual grants
$10.5B in annual grants
$7.0B in annual grants
$9.0B in annual grants
$3.5B in annual grants
$7.0B in annual grants
Explore our full library of guides and tools
The complete fundamentals guide to DAFs. Start here if you're new to donor-advised funds.
Explore Learning →Six proven strategies from bunching to business sales. Find the strategy that fits your situation.
See Strategies →See your estimated tax savings and real-world impact in real time. Free to use anytime.
Try Calculator →