The DAF Day 2025 countdown has begun! We’re kicking off with all-new ways to make this philanthropic holiday a success for every organization.
The DAF Day 2025 countdown has begun! We’re kicking off with all-new ways to make this philanthropic holiday a success for every organization.
To get started, we hosted a discussion about the upcoming DAF Day. We covered everything from why joining in is a must this year to the free resources you can use to set up your campaign today. Our conversation featured:
- Mitch Stein, Head of Strategy at Chariot
- Trish Davis, VP of Planned & Major Giving for Susan G. Komen
- Chelsea Paul, VP of Marketing at Daffy
Watch The Full Recording
Discover actionable insights and helpful tips from our conversation in this must-read roundup.
What is DAF Day?
DAF Day is a national day of giving with donor advised funds. On this day, DAF donors stand up and give together, unleashing a wave of support to organizations around the country. DAF Day spotlights the power we all have when we give bigger, give better, and give together to the causes we care about most.
This year, DAF Day takes place on October 9, 2025- mark your calendars.
The jaw-dropping numbers that inspired DAF Day
The DAF Fundraising Report revealed that donors give twice as much once they start using a DAF. The problem is that only 17 percent of US adults know what a DAF is. Imagine if all of your donors gave double what they do right now. Consider this your motivation to join in on DAF Day.
When donors understand what DAFs are and how they work, they’re more likely to get on board. For example, over 70 million people have a 401(k), while it’s estimated that 3 million have a donor advised fund.
The first-ever DAF Day’s incredible results
It’s hard to believe we launched DAF Day in just ten weeks last year. The movement spread quickly to nonprofits, DAFs, and donors, resulting in brand new DAF accounts, game-changing DAF gifts, and a Times Square spotlight with a Whoopi Goldberg appearance.
Due to its instant success, DAF Day transformed from a new giving concept into a noteworthy holiday in Year One. Here are some of the numbers we’re most proud of:
- 1,200+ participating organizations
- 20,000+ web visitors in 10 weeks
- Press coverage in Forbes, Chronicle of Philanthropy, and more
- Komen raised $267,000 in DAF gifts in one day
- Daffy’s weekly account openings increased by 40 percent
6 exciting new additions for DAF Day 2025
We’ve applied what we learned from the first-ever DAF Day to this year’s big push. Here are six updates that will drive even more participation, buzz, and success our second time around.
#1.Fresh messaging
What will your DAF do?
This statement makes DAF Day personal to your donors by encouraging them to show their power as both a DAF giver and passionate community member. It also applies to all supporters - people who already give with a DAF and those that could start using one now!
How to use it: Ask donors to answer this question on social media. They can share their reasons for giving, add a selfie, invite their friends to join in, and tag your organization.
Give bigger, Give better, Give together
This message demonstrates the collective power DAF donors display on DAF Day. With a DAF, donors can give larger gifts, respond in the moment with funds reserved for philanthropy, and relish in the strength of giving as part of a nationwide community of donors.
How to use it: Each of these statements has an incredible story. Discover the DAF stats and facts to pair with them and share with donors on the DAF Day homepage.
#2.More donor-centric content
Last year’s impressive nonprofit participation led to this year’s keen focus on donors. Find stats, helpful info, and social posts to share with your donors this year using these free resources:
- DAF Day Marketing Toolkit: timelines, tips, and social media templates
- Get a DAF Guide: a 101 resource for donors on how to get a DAF account
- DAF Day homepage: DAF Day info, set a reminder, and more
#3. An expanded nonprofit marketing toolkit
After receiving great feedback about last year’s DAF Day Marketing Toolkit, we’re packing this year’s kit with even more resources. Now you can access a complete timeline from now through October 9th with easy-to-follow to-dos, extra social media templates, and ready-to-use messaging.
Get Your Toolkit Now
#4. More DAF Day training webinars
Make the most of DAF Day with free training. This year, we’re doubling our DAF Day webinars to 14. And with a longer lead time, you can enjoy two extra months to learn and prepare. Save your spot for all of our training webinars on our DAF Day events page.
Register Now
#5. A seamless DAF Day giving page
Every organization that has claimed their Chariot account and completed Chariot’s compliance verification* will appear as a verified DAF Day Partner on the DAF Day Giving Page. Here, donors can search your organization and send a DAF gift directly to your nonprofit through DAFpay in just a few seconds. Get verified and then you’re set!
#6. More DAF providers
We’re working hard to recruit many more official DAF Day DAF partners. If you know a DAF provider you’d like to see on our list, share these benefits for participating DAFs:
- Gain brand visibility for your DAF across the DAF Day site
- Have your DAF featured in our Get a DAF Guide
- Receive a customized activation toolkit for DAF Providers
- Achieve record DAF openings and giving volume like Daffy did in 2024
DAF Day is yours to embrace
With free campaign resources and national momentum to support your initiative, the only way you can go wrong with DAF Day is choosing not to join in.
It’s not just about DAF donors—this is a chance to introduce DAF giving to your entire community. And you might be surprised to find how many of your digital donors already have DAFs but just haven’t used them to give to you yet just because you haven’t asked.
Which DAF donors have you yet to meet? On DAF Day 2024, Komen’s largest DAF gift of $80,000 came from a donor who had previously given digital gifts. The Komen team had no idea this donor had a DAF account with funds ready to give, but when their organization went all-in on DAF Day, they made the most surprising and impactful gift of the day.
4 quick and easy ways to kick off DAF Day at your organization today
There’s no need to wait—the countdown to October 9th starts now! Here are four quick moves you can make right away to start your DAF Day campaign.
#1. Get verified
Claim your organization’s Chariot Account to be verified* on the DAF Day giving page. This page lets donors know that your DAF-eligible organization passed Chariot’s industry-leading compliance checks. Get verified now.
#2. Download the DAF Day Marketing Toolkit
Rally donors with plug-and-play DAF Day promotional materials, including templates, logos, timelines, and checklists. Get the toolkit.
#3. Sign up for training
Learn proven strategies and helpful tips based on last year’s lessons and successes. Save your spot for these expert-led sessions now. Register here.
#4. Spread the word
DAF Day isn’t a solo initiative. It’s a team effort—no matter what your role is. Anyone can be a DAF Day champion, so if you want to lead the charge, take the reins and encourage your colleagues to join you. Share your copy of the toolkit across departments, invite anyone to sign up for DAF Day training, and start DAFs on your website well before the big day.
Join next week's live event
Register Now
*Chariot runs an industry-leading compliance program and your verification signals to potential DAF donors that not only is your organization DAF eligible, but also that a verified Control Person with validated identity is engaged to utilize the donation promptly & effectively. Chariot accounts also all include a Chariot Deposit Account (CDA)* to receive rapid, data-rich grant payments from participating DAF providers.
**Chariot is a financial technology company, not a bank. Chariot Deposit Accounts are a Demand Deposit Account through our banking services partner, Column, N.A., Member FDIC. Deposits in Chariot Deposit Accounts are eligible for FDIC insurance up to $250,000 per depositor, for each insurable capacity in which the account is held.
