Spring gala season is here. The tables are set, the paddle raise is rehearsed, and your team is ready. But there's one opportunity most organizations walk right past every single event: their DAF donors.
With $64.9 billion distributed from donor-advised funds in 2024 alone — and $326 billion more ready to grant — your gala attendees are, statistically, holding DAF funds. The question isn't whether DAF donors will be in the room with you on event night. It's whether you'll make it easy for them to give.
Start at Check-In
The check-in table is the most underutilized DAF touchpoint in nonprofit fundraising.
Every attendee stops there. Some hand over a credit card to be on file for auction items or a bar tab. And right there — in that 60-second window — is your chance to start a conversation that changes the entire giving picture for the night.
Train your check-in staff to ask one simple question:
"Do you use a donor-advised fund? Just so you know, you can't use a DAF for auction items tonight — but you absolutely can for any general donations to the organization, including the paddle raise."
That's it. One question, said genuinely, as a service to the donor rather than a pitch. The impact is two-fold: you're helping your supporter show up more intentionally, and you're learning something about their giving preferences that no wealth screening report will ever surface.
Don't Just Tell Donors Where They Can't Give
Here's a pattern worth breaking: organizations that post "DAFs cannot be used for auction items" disclaimers throughout the silent auction room — but never once mention where donors can use their DAF.
When supporters only hear what's off-limits, many simply disengage from DAF giving for the night altogether. The better approach is balance. Acknowledge the restriction, then immediately pivot to the opportunity: here is where your DAF can make an impact tonight.
Put signage up during the paddle raise. Mention it in the program. Give your guests a clear, specific answer.
Brief Your Auctioneer and Host
Your MC has a microphone. Use it.
A short announcement from the stage during the fund-a-need or paddle raise moment — "If you give through a donor-advised fund, you can absolutely use it for this" — can meaningfully increase participation. Donors who hadn't thought to use their DAF, or weren't sure they could, will act when they hear it said clearly and confidently from the front of the room.
Give your auctioneer two sentences to say and practice it with them before the event. It doesn't take a long script — just clarity.
Make It Easy to Give with DAFpay
If you have DAFpay enabled on your donation forms, your gala gets even more powerful.
Set up a QR code on each table — or display it on the event screen — that links directly to your donation page. When donors reach checkout, DAFpay gives them the option to give straight from their DAF account, the same way they'd swipe a credit card.
Your check-in staff and auctioneer can mention it in the same breath:
"And if you'd like to use your DAF for a general donation tonight, you can do it right from your phone — just scan the QR code on your table."
No pledge cards. No "I'll have my DAF sponsor send a check later." The gift gets made in the moment, while the energy is still high. According to our 2025 DAF Fundraising Report, donors who give with their DAF give 10x more an average compared to other giving methods.
If DAFpay isn't yet on your donation forms, gala season is the prompt you've been waiting for. Getting set up before your next event means any donor in the room — not just the ones your team has a chance to speak with — can give the way they prefer.
See which fundraising platforms you can use that already have DAFpay integrated.
Track What You Learn
Check-in conversations create data. Don't let it walk out the door.
When a staff member learns a donor has a DAF, that information belongs in your CRM. Even a simple flag — "has DAF" — opens a different cultivation path. You can add them to DAF-specific communications, make sure they hear about DAF Day (October 8, 2026 this year), and reach out in ways that match how they actually prefer to give.
Brief your check-in team to capture this. A note in your event app, a post-event data entry task — whatever fits your workflow. The long-term value of a more complete donor file is worth far more than the five minutes it takes.
Steward Faster While the Event Is Still Fresh
One of the biggest missed opportunities after a gala isn't the gift itself — it's what happens in the days that follow.
Donors are most receptive right after an event. The energy is high, the connection is fresh, and a personal acknowledgment lands differently than it would two weeks later. Getting your gift processing done quickly is what makes that window real.
With Chariot's gift processing software, your team can reconcile and credit DAF gifts without waiting for checks to arrive or chasing down pledge fulfillments. When a donor gives through DAFpay, their name and email come through with the gift so your team can reach out within the same week, not weeks later.
That's the moment to send the handwritten note. The thank-you video. The personal call from your ED. Don't let your operations be the thing that slows down your stewardship.
The Takeaway
Gala season isn't just an opportunity to raise money — it's an opportunity to learn more about your donors and build habits that will serve your DAF fundraising all year long.
Ask at check-in. Say something from the stage. Put the QR code on the table and on the big screen. Process gifts quickly and steward while the event energy is still alive.
Your DAF donors are already in the room. All that's left is meeting them where they are.
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