Double Your DAF Day Impact: Unlock Matching Gifts with Half My DAF
- Mitch Stein
- Jun 25
- 5 min read
Half My DAF joins forces with DAF Day 2025 to unlock $2.25M in matching funds for nonprofits—here’s how to get involved before the deadline.
Donor-Advised Funds (DAFs) have become one of the most powerful philanthropic tools available today. But with over $250 billion committed to giving in DAFs, the question becomes: how do we turn all of that good intention into more immediate action?
In a recent DAF Day session, we sat down with Jen Risher—author, philanthropist, and co-founder of #HalfMyDAF—to explore exactly that. She shared her personal journey into philanthropy, explained why DAFs often go underutilized, and unveiled a practical, inspiring path forward: unlocking matching gifts to move more money into the community now.
Understanding DAFs—and Why the System Gets Stuck
Jen began by grounding the conversation in the basics: what a DAF is, why people open them, and what often gets in the way of actually using them.
“A DAF is a charitable vehicle. You put your money into this DAF—you are going to be charitable with that money, because once the money goes into this DAF, it’s irrevocable. You can’t get it back,” she explained.
DAFs are simple to open and easy to manage, making them a go-to choice for donors seeking flexibility. But there’s a systemic flaw: while donors receive an immediate tax deduction when contributing to their DAF, there’s no requirement—or even much encouragement—to move that money out.
The result: inertia. Donors get busy, advisors don’t follow up, and there aren’t enough reminders to give.
As Jen put it: “People don’t forget to be generous—they forget about their DAF.”
What Stops People from Giving
Beyond the system itself, Jen explored the psychological barriers that keep DAF holders from making grants. Chief among them: overwhelm.
“There’s also this fear of, ‘What if I get it wrong?’” she said. “Philanthropy is kind of over-intellectualized. It’s really more about: what do I care about, what speaks to me, where can I make a difference, where can I partner?”
Other blockers include the complexity of actually making a grant—logging into portals, navigating outdated UIs—and the misperception that DAF money is still part of one’s personal assets. Many people plan to “get to it later,” often forgetting they even have a fund.
Jen shared a deeply relatable example of how process friction affects her own giving decisions:
“I really would like to use my DAF, but if I get a solicitation from a nonprofit online... I’ll just do what’s easiest. I don’t put any hurdles in front of me. If it’s not easy for me to give from my DAF—which means I have to close out of the email, go to my portal, make the gift—it’s all these steps. I won’t do it. And I’ll give $100 with my credit card instead of $1,000 with my DAF.”
This isn’t a failure of generosity, Jen emphasized, but a very human behavior pattern. People are more likely to give when the action is seamless. If nonprofits want to unlock more DAF gifts, they need to eliminate the extra clicks.
One solution? Make sure DAFpay - the only DAF payment option - is on your donation forms as a payment option at checkout. DAFpay is already natively integrated with dozens of fundraising platforms - and if you don’t see your provider listed, ask them to add the integration. When donors are inspired to give, the path should be as frictionless as possible.
What Nonprofits Can Do Right Now
The good news: these hurdles are fixable.
For nonprofits, it starts with recognizing the opportunity. If you receive a check from a known DAF sponsor and there’s no contact info, investigate—it’s likely a DAF grant. Then, ask donors directly: “Do you have a DAF?”
These conversations are critical, especially because donors often don’t realize how invisible their gifts might appear. “The donor probably didn’t realize that their name wasn’t associated with it,” Jen noted. “So donors, if you're out there, be aware of how your DAF checks are reaching organizations.”
Key actions for nonprofits:
Learn to spot DAF gifts and track them properly (reference this DAF Provider Director to know all of their names).
Soft credit the donor in your CRM, and hard credit the DAF provider because they are the legal payer.
Include DAF giving language and tools (like DAFpay) on your website and donation forms.
Include DAFs in your planned giving conversations - it’s a chance to educate donors that they could name your organization as a beneficiary to their DAF account.
The Half My DAF Model: Matching to Inspire Movement
In 2020, as the pandemic created massive need and uncertainty, Jen and her husband decided to act. They created #HalfMyDAF, a simple but radical idea: encourage DAF holders to spend down at least half their fund within a year, and offer matching incentives to multiply their giving.
They put up $1 million of their own money. The result? $8.6 million in DAF grants to nonprofits—in just five months.
Half My DAF is now entering its sixth year, with $2.25 million in matches available in 2025. Here’s how it works:
A DAF holder commits to giving at least half their fund by October 10.
Each time they make a grant of $250 or more, they upload the receipt.
Twice a year—once in June, once in October—Half My DAF randomly selects grants to match.
Matches are dollar-for-dollar up to $5,000 per grant, and up to $25,000 in key categories like gender equity, reproductive health, and education.
Importantly, the model is built on trust. There’s no application or lengthy vetting—just a checkbox confirming the pledge.
Why It Works
What makes #HalfMyDAF so effective is its simplicity and emotional clarity. It adds both urgency and leverage to a process that otherwise feels open-ended and stagnant.
“Philanthropy is a muscle,” Jen said. “You need to build it and get used to it. You learn and grow and develop in the way you think about your philanthropic life.”
For donors, #HalfMyDAF offers both structure and inspiration. For nonprofits, it creates a time-sensitive window to re-engage DAF holders, even those they may not have known were giving from a DAF.
And the results are real: in most years, about one-third of all submitted grants are matched. That’s a tremendous return for any organization doing outreach—especially when the donors are already motivated to give.
How Nonprofits Can Get Involved
You don’t need to apply to receive matches from Half My DAF. Every nonprofit is eligible. Your focus should be on mobilizing your donors:
Send a dedicated email about the matching opportunity
Use the sample template on www.halfmydaf.com
Combine messaging with your DAF Day campaign or other seasonal appeals
Make sure your online giving tools support DAFpay
What Donors Should Do Next
If you use a DAF, here’s how to participate:
Affirm your commitment to use half your DAF this year
Submit any grant made of $250 or more can be submitted before October 10th.
Go to www.halfmydaf.com and upload your receipts
Here’s how easy it was to give through DAFpay on a GoFundMe fundraiser for The Trevor Project and submit that gift for matching from #HalfMyDAF.
The Road Ahead
As DAF Day 2025 approaches on October 9, the timing couldn’t be better. With billions already committed to giving in donor-advised funds, the philanthropic community has a rare chance to push those dollars into motion at an absolutely critical name for the sector.
If you’re a nonprofit, start planning your outreach today. If you’re a donor, take the pledge and start making your grants by DAF Day. And for everyone involved in fundraising, stewardship, or DAF education: let’s make it easier, faster, and more joyful to give.
Visit halfmydaf.com for more information on gift matching and dafday.com to get involved.
Given the success of initiatives like Half My DAF in mobilizing dormant charitable funds, what structural or Block Blast policy changes could be introduced at the institutional or legislative level to encourage more consistent and timely disbursement of DAF assets to nonprofits year-round, beyond single-day events like DAF Day?