Maximize DAF Giving This Year-End
- Mitch Stein
- 6 days ago
- 5 min read
Year-end giving season is officially here — and based on what we’re seeing across the sector, 2025 is shaping up to be one of the strongest years ever for donor-advised fund (DAF) activity. During our recent webinar, “Maximize DAF Giving This Year-End”, we dug into the trends, strategies, and sample campaigns nonprofits can use right now to capture more DAF dollars before December 31st.
Why DAF Giving Surges at Year-End
DAF giving consistently spikes in December — and this year, nonprofits should expect an even stronger lift.
Donors aim to meet year-end giving goals. December is when many donors take stock of their annual commitments and ensure they’ve met the charitable goals they set for the year.
Appeal volume increases during Giving Season. As inboxes fill with year-end appeals, DAF donors are prompted to take action — especially when a nonprofit explicitly reminds them that DAFs are an option for giving.
2026 tax changes are accelerating DAF activity. With upcoming changes to the standard and charitable deductions, many donors (especially those in higher income brackets) are “bunching” and maximizing tax benefits while they still can. This means there may be an increased volume of DAF contributions and grants to nonprofits this December as donors plan ahead.
Why Nonprofits Hesitate to Target DAF Donors at Year-End
Even as DAF giving grows, many organizations think twice about building targeted DAF outreach into year-end campaigns. During the session, we addressed the most common barriers — and why they shouldn’t slow you down.
1. Fear of Re-soliciting a DAF Donor
One of the biggest misconceptions is that you shouldn’t ask DAF donors who already gave earlier in the year to give again.
But DAF donors can be among the most strategic and thoughtful–once they find a cause they want to support, they tend to respond well to periodic solicitations and reminders to give. Research from the DAF Fundraising Report highlights this, showing that 20% of DAF donors surveyed gave 2+ times per year to the same organization.
2. Concern About Being “Too Specific”
Some fundraisers feel awkward referencing a donor’s DAF directly. But this level of personalization can make donors feel valued:
“It just shows that you’re paying attention… asking them to consider a year-end gift because they have a DAF is actually a great idea.” - Briel Steinberg, Chariot
3. Poor DAF Tracking in the CRM
While nonprofits always welcome an uptick in DAF gifts at year-end, if they don’t have a solid tracking methodology in place, these gifts can often create more headaches for gift processors at an already crazy time of year. Not having a systematic way to track your DAF gifts can be a common blocker to receiving more of them — but the problem is easily fixable. Even if your historical data is inconsistent, you can start standardizing your data today by:
Soft-crediting donors and hard-crediting DAF providers on all new DAF gifts
Tagging gifts consistently, and distinguishing DAF gifts from QCDs, corporate matches, etc.
Using DAFpay to get donor information instantly and close stewardship gaps
4. The Myth That “DAF Donors Already Know How to Give”
DAF donors are often making gifts in the same spontaneous, emotionally-driven moments as every other donor — a GivingTuesday email, a compelling social post, a peer-to-peer ask from a friend. In those moments, convenience outweighs intention. If a DAF option isn’t front and center, many donors default to the fastest visible method (usually a credit card).
This matters because the difference in outcome is massive. When someone switches from giving via credit card to giving via a DAF:
Their gift is 8–10× larger, on average
You receive full donor information (if using DAFpay)
You strengthen the pipeline for major + planned gifts
Donors don’t need you to remind them they have a DAF, but they do need you to make using it effortless. Every time you call out DAFs explicitly in your year-end appeals — subject lines, CTAs, text messages, donation pages — you reduce friction, prompt better giving behavior, and unlock transformational revenue that would otherwise be lost.
Best Practices for Year-End Appeals
1. Optimize Donor Communications for DAF Giving
Make sure your GivingTuesday and year-end assets — emails, social media, SMS alerts, landing pages — clearly mention DAF giving and link to DAF-friendly donation options, like DAFpay.
2. Audit Your Website
Send your website to a friend and see how long it takes them to find a DAF giving option! Can they give right away, or do they have to click around? Ensure that you have a clear:
DAF section on your Ways to Give page(s)
Guide on how to give via a DAF (and make sure your EIN is listed clearly on your website!)
DAF giving option that is easy to use
3. Text Messaging Works
The International Rescue Committee drove strong results by texting donors on DAF Day — and the same tactic works well during year-end.
4. Make Sure DAFs are Included on All Campaign Pages and Donation Forms
If your organization uses multiple fundraising platforms or campaign pages, make sure there’s an easy DAF giving option on those, too. And check if DAFpay is enabled on your fundraising platform - if so, you can toggle it on easily.
Here are some examples of DAFpay implementations within different platforms:
Native integrations:
International Rescue Committee (Springboard/Jackson River)
National MS Society (DonorDrive)
National Wildlife Federation (Engaging Networks)
Custom integrations (in editable forms)*:
Houston Food Bank (Luminate Online)
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (Luminate Online)
Center for Reproductive Rights (Every Action)
American Cancer Society (In-House Solution)
“Add-on” or “Link-out” solutions*:
AJC (GoFundMe Pro)
Boys & Girls Club (FundraiseUp)
The Public Theater (Tessitura)
B+ Foundation (DonorPerfect)
*Note that adding DAFpay without a native integration does require a subscription Chariot plan.
If you have questions on how to best implement DAFpay on your existing donation forms, please reference the Chariot help center, or reach out for support.
5. Educate Your Team
Be your organization’s DAF champion and make sure that your DAF fundraising strategy is stressed cross-functionally.
Beyond the Gift: Stewardship & Pipeline Strategy
Fast follow-up is key to making donors feel appreciated and incentivized to continue supporting your cause. Make sure you:
Send a same-day thank-you, where possible
Route donors into prospecting research funnels
Flag them for major gift or even planned giving follow-up
Track their giving and data accurately
Many DAF donors are ideal planned giving prospects. Coordination across Major Gifts, Annual Giving, and Planned Giving teams is essential.
Resources to Power Your Year-End DAF Strategy
Year-End Toolkit
- Campaign templates, messaging prompts, buckslip examples, and more to help you launch high-performing, DAF-inclusive appeals. For inspiration, check out standout examples from the DAF Day Award Winners! And feel free to share these with us - we’d love to see what your team comes up with!
Standardize Your DAF Data Before Giving Season
- Ensure you’re tracking DAF gifts accurately — from naming conventions to CRM hygiene.
Confirm Your Fundraising Platform Supports DAFpay
- Make DAF giving as seamless as possible for donors by using a platform that supports DAFpay. See the full list of DAFpay integration partners here.
Claim Your Chariot Deposit Account*
- Centralize your DAF payments and visualize all your data in one place. This is essential for fast, effective stewardship — especially at year-end.
Apply for the 2026 DAF Fundraising Report
- Participate to benchmark your organization’s DAF performance and gain deeper insights into donor behavior over time.
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