What the Heck Is a DAF… and How Can Your Nonprofit Benefit?
If you've seen "DAF Day" popping up in your inbox and quietly wondered what everyone's talking about, you're not alone. Here's the plain-English version, and why it matters for small and rural nonprofits.
First, what's a DAF?
A donor-advised fund (DAF) is like a charitable savings account. A donor contributes to their DAF, receives an immediate tax deduction, and then recommends grants to the charities they care about on their own timeline. The account is held by a sponsoring organization: a national provider like Fidelity Charitable or Schwab Charitable, or often your local community foundation.
The key takeaway: DAF donors have already set money aside for charity. It's sitting there, waiting to be granted. Your job isn't to convince them to give. It's to help them choose you.
So what's DAF Day?
DAF Day is the national giving day for donor-advised funds, held on the second Thursday of October. This year it falls on Thursday, October 8, 2026, its third year. It's growing fast: in 2025, more than 1,000 nonprofits signed up to participate.
The timing is smart, too. Falling in early October, DAF Day gives nonprofits a head start on GivingTuesday and year-end fundraising.
Why this matters for your organization
DAF gifts often get missed because the process can feel clunky. Donors typically log in to their DAF provider's site, search for a nonprofit, and request a grant there. The nonprofit often has no idea the gift is coming. If a donor can't quickly find your legal name, EIN, and mailing address, that gift may go somewhere easier.
Your DAF readiness checklist
Check your Candid profile. Many DAF platforms pull from it, so make sure it's verified and current.
Put your legal name, EIN, and address on your website. Ideally on your donate page, not buried in the footer.
Add a "Give from your DAF" section that walks donors through recommending a grant.
Register for DAF Day so participating donors can find you, and ask your donation platform whether it supports DAF giving at checkout.
Mention DAFs everywhere you list ways to give: website, e-newsletters, appeal letters, and year-end materials.
Record DAF gifts correctly. The sponsoring organization gets the legal gift credit; the recommending donor gets soft credit and a personal thank-you. Don't send the donor a tax receipt, since they already took their deduction.
Start with who you already know. Your best DAF prospects are likely already in your database.
The bottom line
DAF Day isn't only about finding new donors. It's a chance to show your existing supporters one more easy way to back a mission they already care about, right before year-end giving kicks in.
Not sure where to start? Pick two items from the checklist and get them done before October 8. That's real progress.
Sarah Roberts, is owner and principal consultant of SJR Nonprofit Solutions, LLC, helping New Hampshire nonprofits build stronger, more sustainable funding.