DAFinitively Speaking

Where Have We Been, Where are We Going?

This month for DAFinitively Speaking, we are reflecting on how DAFinitive® began and what has been accomplished so far. I spoke to several of my colleagues- Helen Brown, the founder of both The Helen Brown Group and DAFinitive®, Avery Whitlock, our research assistant who maintains all of the incredible data that you see in DAFinitive®, […]

A History of DAFs and The New York Community Trust

As we approach the time for those we know (or even us) to go back to school, we at DAFinitive® thought that we could all use a good history lesson. When did donor advised funds become what we know of today? Although donor-advised funds may seem like a somewhat recent concept, they are more than […]

What’s New in DAF-Land?

As donor advised funds have become more commonly known to the general public, stories about sponsor organizations and how donors interact with them are more frequently in the news. Here is a round up of what’s been making the headlines recently in the world of donor advised funds. Network for Good Reaches $5 Billion in […]

Something for Everyone: Special Interest DAFs

As donor advised funds have become more widely used, the number and type of organizations that are sponsors of DAFs has also increased.  While a 2021 report from the Lilly School of Philanthropy found that the majority of donor-advised funds supported educational and religious organizations, those interest areas have continued to expand. In recent years, […]

New research from the DAF Research Collaborative on DAF payout rates

The team at the DAF Research Collaborative recently published a working paper, (“Self-Regulating Donor Advised Funds; An Analysis of Inactive Account Policies and Endowed DAFs”) which analyzed the policies regarding inactive accounts and endowed funds at DAF sponsor organizations. Authors Dan Heist and Kendra Stone from Brigham Young University offer a fascinating and concise look […]