DAFinitively Speaking

DAFinitive® + Kaleidoscope: A New Strategic Partnership

Hello DAFinitive® Community! We’re excited to announce a new strategic partnership between DAFinitive® and Kaleidoscope, a leading provider of centralized securities, regulatory data, and 990 information for the nonprofit market. At its heart, this partnership is about making prospect research more connected, more efficient, and more actionable. DAFinitive® will continue to do what it does […]

Sponsor Discretion, Donor Choice, and the Southern Poverty Law Center Case

In April 2026, a federal grand jury in Alabama indicted the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), a nonprofit civil rights organization founded in 1971. The indictment includes charges of wire fraud, false statements to a federally insured bank, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Prosecutors allege that the SPLC improperly used donor funds to compensate […]

Case Study in Donor Engagement Strategies: Rochester Area Community Foundation

Building on last month’s DAFinitively Speaking post defining the common types of charitable funds managed by community foundations, I was fortunate to connect with Mary Hartstein, Director of Donor Engagement and Impact at the Rochester Area Community Foundation, (RACF) to discuss her organization’s process for donor engagement, depending on the fund type. Background on RACF […]

Beyond DAFs: Common Types of Charitable Funds

Many people are familiar with donor advised funds (DAFs)—charitable giving vehicles that allow individuals, families, or organizations to make tax‑deductible contributions, place those assets in a dedicated fund at a sponsoring organization, and then recommend grants over time to qualified 501(c)(3) charities. Because the donor retains advisory privileges while the sponsoring organization maintains legal control […]

DAFinitive’s Spring 2026 Product Updates and Other Happenings

DAFinitive® Product Updates We are excited to announce two feature updates within the DAFinitive® platform: 1. Print Profile Formatting Enhancements As our subscribers already know, within each DAF profile, there is an option at the top of the screen to print a record to PDF: These PDFs now have a fresh, new design that replicates […]

Research in the News: How Donor Advised Funds Are Reshaping Fundraising Practice

Our friends at the DAF Research Collaborative (DAFRC) have recently released another insightful report; Reinventing the Cycle: Adapting Relationship Fundraising for Donors Who Use DAFs. As most readers know, DAFs are becoming more and more accessible to everyday donors because of the increase in sponsor organizations, the growth of workplace giving platforms, smaller initial contribution […]