If you’ve followed this blog for very long, you know that we’re big fans of the DAF Research Collaborative (DRC), an academic team researching donor advised funds and sponsors. The Collaborative has strong relationships with the DAF sponsor community, and they are granted in-depth access to information that is generally unavailable. Fortunately, they aggregate it, […]
DAFinitively Speaking
Stock Market & DAFs – Can Donors Save the Day?
As most of us know, the global financial markets have been tumultuous in the first half of 2025. As tariffs on foreign countries are announced, modified and recalled, the US stock market has seen the worst declines since the beginning of the COVID pandemic in 2020 and the worst April performance since the height of […]
Giving Vehicles Aplenty! Private Foundation vs. DAFs? Why Not Both?
For most of us, when we think of omni-channel fundraising, we think of the three most common giving vehicles: donating online with a credit card, mailing in a check, or providing payment information during a telemarketing phone call. However, the options for potential giving vehicles are way longer than just “The Big Three.” PayPal, give-by-text, […]
Around the World of DAFs: Asia
As we continue our international journey of donor advised funds, let’s next visit Asia, a continent with longstanding traditions of philanthropy amongst the wealthy. In this post, we will explore whether or not donor advised funds are part of the philanthropic landscape and how different countries in the region approach DAF giving. The Bridgespan Group […]
5 Things Prospect Researchers Should Love About DAFs
March is Prospect Development Pride month. Here at The Helen Brown Group, we celebrate each year with Intelligent Edge blog posts focused on what we love about our work and on advocating for our industry. We haven’t historically cross-pollinated in the DAFinitively Speaking blog, but there’s no reason why we shouldn’t! Donor Advised Funds represent […]
A Strategic Giving Tool: The Double Tax Benefits of a DAF
As fundraising professionals, we understand there are multiple giving vehicles that our beloved donors can use to contribute to the work our organizations are doing to create a better world. One such vehicle that has gained traction over the last several years, for many reasons, are donor advised funds (DAFs). Despite their historic popularity among […]
