Community Foundations Assail Big DAFs’ Freeze on SPLC Gifts
Following the federal indictment of the Southern Poverty Law Center, commercial donor-advised funds froze grants to the SPLC. In response, smaller DAFs urge donors to put their money elsewhere.
By Alex Daniels
Senior Editor, Foundations
Shattered Trust: $21 Million DAF Lawsuit Threatens Donor Confidence
In a legal battle, a DAF sponsor is accused of cutting off access to an account and refusing to make specific grants. Experts say the case is highly unusual but could impact donor trust and DAF regulations.
By Rasheeda Childress
Senior Editor, Fundraising
Smart New Ways to Win Gifts From DAF Donors
Our best guidance on how to connect with donors and unlock giving from donor-advised funds.
Year-End Giving to DAFs Soared as Donors Rushed to Beat Tax Changes
Grant making was already up in the first two months of 2026.
By Rasheeda Childress
Senior Editor, Fundraising
Tax Changes Drove a DAF Boom. Here’s How to Unlock More Giving.
With DAF assets at an all-time high, experts share proven ways to reach donors and move them to give.
By M.J. Prest
Senior Editor, Solutions
Caught in a Web of DAF Transfers
Donors get a tax deduction for donor-advised fund contributions, but billions of payouts each year are simply recycled to other DAF providers
By Ben Gose
Senior Editor
5 Trends That Will Shape Fundraising in 2026
How AI, the new tax law, an uncertain economy, and more will change how nonprofits raise money.
By Rasheeda Childress
Senior Editor, Fundraising
More DAF Gifts Are Going to Politically Active Charities
As the funds grow to unprecedented levels, the lines between charity and politics have become increasingly blurred.
By Brian Mittendorf and Helen Flannery
DAF Assets Soar 30% to $326 Billion
Donors put more money into the funds in 2024 than in any other of the past five years.
By Rasheeda Childress
Senior Editor, Fundraising
How the Rich Use Philanthropy to Dodge Taxes
Law professor Ray Madoff’s new book, “The Second Estate,” argues that philanthropy is part of a playbook that the ultra-wealthy use to avoid taxes.
By Ben Gose
Senior Editor
A strategic reserve fund mobilizes money and appeals to entrepreneurial donors. Is it the right solution for your nonprofit?
By M.J. Prest
Senior Editor, Solutions
Advice for a GivingTuesday-Like Blitz to Boost DAF Gifts
October 9 will mark the second annual DAF Day. Nonprofits share how they plan to make the most of the day — and kick off year-end DAF appeals.
By Rasheeda Childress
Senior Editor, Fundraising
Crypto-Philanthropy and Donor-Advised Funds Are Not Immune to Problems. Here Are Some Red Flags.
Due diligence is key for donors giving through new philanthropic vehicles.
By Alex Daniels
Senior Editor, Foundations
Donors Say They Were Ghosted by a $10 Billion DAF
The SDG Impact Fund is under investigation, and a half dozen donors say the money they entrusted to the fund — to support charitable activities related to the U.N. Sustainability Goals — has not been put to its intended use.
By Alex Daniels
Senior Editor, Foundations
Why Big Gifts Dropped in 2025 and Will Soon Rise
Tax-code changes and other political and economic forces are causing some ultra-wealthy donors to wait until the end of the year or to give quietly.
By Maria Di Mento
Senior Editor
The Tax Law’s Big Win for Charities Makes DAF Giving Trickier
It may slow everyday donors’ adoption of DAFs — and lead some DAF donors to alternate between itemizing their taxes and taking the standard deduction.
By Rasheeda Childress
Senior Editor, Fundraising