Donor-advised funds have become a major channel for charitable support, and it keeps growing. In 2025, donors using DAFgiving360, one of the largest administrators of donor-advised funds, granted $9.9 billion to more than 165,000 charities, a 28 percent increase over the prior year and the most active year on record for the platform. 

For organizations, that popularity represents a real opportunity, one nonprofits can benefit from most if that actively promote DAF giving versus treating it as a passive opportunity. Based on what we see across our client work, three practices consistently help nonprofits make the most of DAF giving.

1. Promote DAF giving thoroughly

Mentioning DAFs once or twice a year is rarely enough. The organizations seeing the strongest results make DAF giving visible across multiple touchpoints and do so consistently. 

 Some nonprofits mention DAF giving in nearly every newsletter, even if it is just a short line or callout. Others feature clear DAF information on their “Ways to Give” pages so donors encounter it naturally when exploring how to support the organization. A few run modest digital ads during key fundraising periods to reinforce awareness. Some of our clients send a simple postcard focused on tax-advantage giving several times per year. Inexpensive, straightforward, and easy to repeat. 

 When donors see DAF language regularly, it becomes familiar. Familiar options are the ones donors remember when it is time to recommend grants. 

2. Identify likely DAF donors through modeling 

DAF giving is not evenly distributed across a donor file. Certain patterns tend to correlate with donors who already have DAF accounts or are inclined to give through one. 

Rather than relying on surface-level engagement like recent opens or clicks, many nonprofits are using deeper indicators to guide outreach. These can include signals related to giving behavior over time, capacity, philanthropic activity, and other data points that suggest strategic approaches to giving. 

 Advanced modeling helps bring those signals together. When nonprofits use tools designed to identify likely DAF donors within their audience, outreach becomes more focused and more effective. Messages land with supporters who are already predisposed to this type of giving rather than being spread broadly and hoping for the best.

3. Use inclusive language that reflects how donors give

Giving behavior changes as donors age, and fundraising language should reflect that reality. 

 Many donors begin using donor-advised funds earlier in their philanthropic journey. Later, often starting in their late 60s and continuing through their 70s and beyond, some shift toward qualified charitable distributions from IRAs as those vehicles become more relevant to their financial planning. 

 Nonprofits that acknowledge this progression tend to resonate with a wider range of supporters. Inclusive language that references donor-advised funds, IRA distributions, and other tax-efficient options signals that the organization understands how donors give at different life stages. 

 This does not require lengthy explanations. A short line in a newsletter or a brief section on a giving page is often enough to let donors know their preferred method is recognized and supported. 

What effective DAF strategies have in common 

Donor-advised funds are already popular. The organizations that benefit most from them treat that popularity with intention. 

• Promoting DAF giving consistently and across channels. 

• Using data and modeling to focus outreach on the right supporters. 

• Speaking in language that reflects how giving evolves over time. 

When these elements come together, DAF giving becomes more predictable and more sustainable, rather than something that happens by chance. 

Want to learn more about how our Audience Indicators can help you identify likely DAF donors? Reach out.