DAF Discretion in the Spotlight: ProPublica’s Investigation on DAF Sponsors

A new ProPublica investigation is raising questions about how major DAF sponsors determine which organizations are eligible to receive grants and how those decisions are shared.

As DAFs become a larger part of American philanthropy, the policies and processes behind the accounts matter. For sponsors, that means increasingly sophisticated diligence, clear policies and transparency with donors about how grant decisions are made.

Technology can't make these decisions for sponsors, but better systems can make diligence more consistent, document how decisions are made, and more transparent for everyone involved.

Read the investigation →

$10B granted, up 22% in a year

DAFs are becoming a more active part of how households manage their philanthropy.

In a recent report published by DAFgiving360, their donors granted more than $10 billion in FY2026, up 22% year over year.

For DAF sponsors, advisors and philanthropic leaders, the opportunity is increasingly about more than offering the account. Donors are using DAFs as part of a broader financial and philanthropic strategy and looking for an experience that can keep up.

Essentials of Donor-Advised Funds: Free Certificate for One More Week!

Time to add a new credential to your life? Through August 31, the Essentials of Modern DAF Advising certificate from our partners at Daylight is free, as part of their DAF500 Challenge.

Get certified for free → (and mention Daffodil sent you in the referral)

Smarter Giving Starts Here.

Mission Control by Daffodil helps organizations launch, manage, and grow modern donor-advised fund programs with better tools for administrators, advisors, donors, and nonprofits. Interested in exploring what modern DAF infrastructure looks like? Get in touch here.