The 2026 DAF Fundraising Report is the most comprehensive yet. Since 2024, the report has grown from 20 organizations to 54, representing $26.1 billion in total giving.
The findings have remained consistent: DAF giving is accelerating across all giving levels, and it's driving increased generosity.
This edition adds two meaningful firsts: sector-by-sector benchmarks, so you can compare your program against organizations most like yours, and more holistic case studies that go beyond the numbers to show the specific data, communications, and technology strategies behind the results. Below, we cover five key takeaways from the report and how you can apply them this year.
I. DAFs remain the fastest-growing giving vehicle in philanthropy
Median DAF revenue growth from 2021 to 2025 was +75% among report participants, while median non-DAF revenue growth over the same period: +9%.
Why it matters: DAF giving is no longer a niche channel. It's underpinning fundraising sustainability and growth, and has reached a scale that can’t be ignored.
What you can do: If you can't easily benchmark your own DAF revenue growth year over year, that's the first gap to close. Prioritize building the data infrastructure to track it — and use the data strategy guidelines in Section 6 of the report as your roadmap.
II. DAFs increase individual giving
Between 2021 and 2025, 50,000 existing donors in the study switched to DAF giving. The average increase was more than 10x their prior giving level.
Why it matters: The concern that DAF giving cannibalizes direct support is not backed by the data. When existing donors start giving through a DAF, they give more. Nearly half of those who made the switch more than doubled their annual giving.
What you can do: Your current donors with DAFs are your highest-upside upgrade opportunity. Reduce friction everywhere they might give. DAFpay, Chariot's "Pay with DAF" button, puts a DAF giving option directly on your donation forms; it's available through a fundraising platform partner or by purchasing a Chariot plan. Make sure DAF giving is visible and easy across donation forms, direct mail, major gift proposals, and email.
III. DAFs are used at all donor levels
Two-thirds of DAF gifts in the study are under $1,000.
Why it matters: Major gifts make up just 2% of all DAF gifts, yet DAFs account for more than 22% of major gift revenue. The distribution of DAF giving is much broader than most organizations assume, with meaningful volume at every level of the donor pyramid.
What you can do: Don't confine DAF messaging to your major gifts program. Midlevel and mass-market communications should reference DAF giving as a standard option. Every segment of your donor base may be holding a DAF. Your job is to make sure they know they can use it for your mission.
Case Study: How ACLU built a data-driven case for DAFs in every channel
ACLU's central thesis: when you look at the data, DAF giving behavior justifies prioritizing DAFs in every channel and customizing the experience for DAF donors.
ACLU analyzed traffic on its Ways to Give page, found the DAF section with DAFpay was drawing substantially more clicks than anything else, and moved it to the second option listed. They've progressively tested DAF messaging with broader audience definitions, watching response data confirm that the potential DAF donor population includes donors at every giving level:
- A DAF "P.S." on direct mail lifted response.
- Telemarketing scripts include DAF language.
- QR codes drive to DAFpay on every direct mail reply device.
+153%
DAF revenue growth YoY in 2025—roughly 3x the growth rate of non-DAF revenue
+300%
median giving increase among donors who switched to DAF giving in 2025
40%
of midlevel donors now give through DAFs
25%
of DAF donors make two or more DAF gifts per year
"Launching an education campaign with our internal and external partners has been really helpful in creating shared goals, directing investments, and making DAF giving easy for our donors. Once you start looking at the data, you find high-value DAF giving in audiences and channels you would not have expected."
IV. DAF donors are loyal supporters
DAF donor retention is, on average, 13 percentage points higher than that of non-DAF donors. On top of that, DAF donors made 23x larger gifts than non-DAF donors, on average, in 2025.
Why it matters: Retention and gift size compound over time. A donor retained for five years at a higher giving level is the most effective path to more sustainable revenue.
What you can do: If you don't have a dedicated stewardship flow for DAF donors, build one. The IRC and ACLU case studies in this report detail exactly how leading organizations are engaging this segment year-round.
Case Study: How IRC turned DAF strategy into $11M in net-new support
The International Rescue Committee treats DAF fundraising as an organization-wide priority — with a dedicated full-time role and a quarterly cross-departmental meeting that brings together prospect research, gift processing, data, and every philanthropy segment. DAFpay is rolling out to 100% of IRC's donation entry points. Donor stories from DAF givers are produced and used across mass markets, planned giving, and individual philanthropy alike.
$11M
in net-new support generated by donors who switched to DAF giving in 2025
+42%
DAFs' share of IRC's total revenue, 2021 to 2025
+23 points
DAF donor retention above non-DAF donors
A single DAF Day SMS blast produced three new DAF gifts via DAFpay in under 20 minutes — all existing donors upgrading into the mid-level tier.
"DAFs are not sitting in one team at IRC. The cross-departmental partnership, paired with educating donors across every channel, is what is unlocking the gifts we are seeing."
V. DAF giving is most prominent in certain sectors
International Relief organizations showed the highest share of DAF giving relative to total revenue at 23.7%. Health-related organizations saw the fastest growth, with DAF giving as a share of revenue up 99.4% during the study period.
Why it matters: DAF giving as a percentage of individual revenue varies between 4% and 24% by sector, so now you can compare with the measures most relevant for you.
What you can do: Use the sector exhibits in the report to benchmark your DAF program against your closest peers, not just the aggregate. If your sector is underperforming, the gap is an opportunity. If you're outperforming, the strategies behind it are worth systematizing.
Put the research to work on October 8
DAF Day, the only giving day dedicated entirely to donor-advised fund philanthropy, takes place on October 8, 2026. In 2025, more than 4,400 nonprofits and 30 DAF sponsors participated, making it the largest coordinated DAF fundraising event of its kind.
Whether you're building your DAF strategy from scratch or running a cross-functional program like IRC and ACLU, DAF Day gives your organization a dedicated moment, a national movement, and a playbook to campaign around.
Claim your Chariot account to join the DAF Day Giving page, where donors are actively searching for verified organizations to support. Verified nonprofits receive fast, secure electronic grant payments from Chariot's network of partner DAF providers and can access DAFpay via one of Chariot’s 70+ fundraising platform partners.
Questions about the research? Reach out to contact@givechariot.com. If you’re interested in participating in next year’s report, you can fill out our interest form here.
