How to Secure More Donor-Advised Fund Grants: Proven Strategies for Nonprofits of All Sizes

Picture this: It’s Tuesday afternoon, and Sarah from the Children’s Education Foundation just got off a call with a donor. “We’d love to support you“, the donor said, “but we give through our donor-advised fund. Do you accept those?“

Sarah paused. She’d heard this question three times this month, but honestly? She had no clue what to say next.

Does that sound familiar to your NPO?

Here’s what’s wild: DAF gifts grew 30% in 2024, but most nonprofits are sitting on the sidelines watching this massive opportunity slip by. We’re talking about roughly $55 billion in grants flowing from donor-advised funds to charities every year, and 69% of those gifts are under $1,000, meaning they’re perfect for organizations of every size.

While 69% of grants are under $1,000, the average individual DAF account size in 2023 was $141,120, and average grants at Fidelity Charitable grew from $4,625 in 2023 to $5,422 in 2024. Many grants exceed $1,000, depending on the sponsor.

But here’s the kicker: 87% of organizations that actually ASK for DAF grants receive them, compared to only 42% that get them without asking.

The problem isn’t that donors don’t want to give through their DAFs. The problem is that most nonprofits treat DAFs like some mysterious, complicated funding source reserved for major gift officers with decades of experience.

Spoiler alert: They’re not!

We’ll show you exactly how to bridge that awareness gap – from small grassroots teams running on coffee and passion to enterprise nonprofits with full development departments.

What are donor-advised funds and why should nonprofits care?

Let’s say your supporter, Amir, sets aside part of his giving in a donor-advised fund, a charitable account he controls for grant recommendations. The tax piece is handled when he funds the account; the funds wait for direction.

When he chooses a cause, he logs in, selects the legal name, and recommends a grant. The fund sponsor sends the money to the cause, often with Amir’s name in the memo.

That’s a DAF in action: donor → fund sponsor → nonprofit.

Asking or soliciting for DAFs doubles the chances of higher donations to your cause.

5 reasons donor-advised funds are game-changers for nonprofits

There are plenty of ways to ask philanthropists for their support in your cause, but DAFs come with their own benefits. Here’s how donor-advised funds benefit nonprofits of any size:

1. Bigger average gifts: Donors often give from a pre-set charitable pool, so amounts tend to be higher.
2. Complex assets: DAFs are often funded with stock/crypto/other non-cash assets, which can unlock larger gifts.
3. Easier repeat giving: Many donors set monthly or quarterly recommendations, and predictable revenue (nearly 80% of grants repeat).
4. Cleaner documentation: Grants arrive labeled from the sponsor, with memo details that speed legal tasks.
5. Higher credibility: Visible DAF acceptance reassures major donors and advisors that you’re set up for planned, ongoing support.

Is my nonprofit eligible to receive donor-advised fund grants?

Philanthropists who have DAF accounts are usually practical and very thorough with the cause they’re recommending. This means your organization needs to remember certain rules before asking for DAFs. Here are some:

• Make sure you’re a registered 501(c)3 and keep the IRS status current.
• Keep your GuideStar/charity profile updated so donors can trust you.
• Remember, donors can’t typically grant to individuals, political groups, or most private foundations, but Government entities and churches are eligible.
• Most of all, be transparent in your fundraising efforts to gain the trust of existing donors and impress potential donors.

3 proven strategies to secure more donor-advised fund grants

There are approximately 1.78M DAF accounts with an average account size of $141,120. Nonprofits of every size need to start finding the right opportunity to apply for DAF grants.

When a donor already has a DAF ready, a tiny spark and cue at the right moment turns intent into a grant. The moves below work for small teams, mid-size nonprofits, and enterprise programs alike:

1. Make it known that you accept DAF grants at checkout

Can one sentence unlock a DAF grant? Try this at checkout: Add a donor-advised fund (DAF) option on your main donation page, right beside credit/debit and ACH/bank transfer. Include a short helper line under the button: “Give from your donor-advised fund (DAF).”

After any gift, show a small note on the confirmation page or receipt with your legal name and EIN so donors can act from their fund.

Pro tip: If you’re using RallyUp’s free donation pages, place the helper line in the page description and add the note to your confirmation email template. Then run one end-to-end test and fix anything unclear.

2. Identify DAF donors you already have

Only 4% of DAF donors choose to remain anonymous across major sponsors, although partial anonymity is far more common, with some reports suggesting that up to 79% of DAF grants omit full donor details. A 2025 study shows full anonymity rates may range up to 9% depending on the sponsor.

So, assume that most DAF grants include a name you can personally reach out to and thank. This forms an emotional connection with the donor and builds bonds for pitching your cause as a recurring gift option or pledges for their DAFs.

There are ways to find out who already has a DAF in your file. Here are four places to look:

1. Audit your data: Search your CRM/deposit notes for: “DAF,” “donor-advised,” “gift fund,” “community foundation.”

2. Ask lightly: Add a skippable follow-up line: “Was this gift recommended from a donor-advised fund?” On RallyUp, place it in the confirmation email or a short post-donation survey.
3. Tag and segment: Add a simple DAF tag and save a segment. In RallyUp, you can add information to your Donor Profiles for further DAF segmentation reference.

3. Promote and shout it from the rooftops

If you’re a philanthropist checking nonprofits to give to and you see one that clearly states they have DAF payments available, you’re going to recommend it to the sponsor to avoid technical difficulties.

Nonprofits should make the DAF option visible across their fundraising platforms (donation pages, P2P, event checkout), so donors see it where they already give.

Homepage CTAs

Use a landing page or website banner for two months to assess the change in number. The best practice is to use one sentence and one link to a dedicated DAF instruction page (if your organization has one). Don’t crowd it with extra buttons.

Tip: Test a version that adds your EIN in parentheses; keep whatever earns clicks.

Donation forms and smart funds allocation

On the main donation page, place the DAF line directly beneath the primary button.

RallyUp’s free donation pages have the option of Smart Funds Allocation. This means donors can choose to distribute their donations to different programs.

It’s a great opportunity to ask for DAFs, as the donors would still be giving to a single nonprofit, but to different causes.

Peer-to-peer and team pages

Make DAF language part of your default team guides so every captain or peer shares a consistent message. Give captains one short message to copy into their updates, like, “If you use a donor-advised fund, you can recommend a grant to our team”.

In short, this is what your next week should look like to start proposing DAFs:

1. Turn on the homepage CTA.
2. Add the donate-page line and refresh the Ways to Give resources.
3. Update P2P/team templates and your standard event script.

What to say when asking for donor-advised fund grants (with examples)

Giving through donor-advised funds grows when you ask plainly in the places donors already look. Keep it short, repeat it across your usual touchpoints, and make sure the key details (your legal name and EIN) are close at hand.

Take a look at some of these examples of asking in simple ways:

How to identify and prioritize your best DAF donor prospects

Asking for DAF grants means asking for a big, recurring gift, which does not come easily. Having said that, you would not approach the local recurring donors who give less than $50 every month.

You’d start with people most likely to act: recent mid-to-large donors, anyone who donated by check, and insiders like board members or advisors. They already trust you, so show them the DAF path clearly.

How to turn one-time DAF grants into recurring donations

Send a fast impact note to the recommending donor (since the formal receipt goes to the sponsor). About 30 days later, share a brief update and invite a monthly or quarterly recommendation. 

Pro tip: Tag anyone who clicks a DAF link or mentions a fund so you can thank them properly and keep the next ask timely.

Organizations can track their fundraising campaign data and make donation reports with RallyUp’s all-new Report feature. 

How RallyUp makes securing DAF grants simple and effective

RallyUp is a fundraising platform with features and tech that help you focus a lot more on your fundraising efforts. You can use these features to ease the efforts of inviting DAFs as well:

1. Use RallyUp’s built-ins to do the “thank fast → update at 30 days → invite recurring” loop without extra lift.
2. Customize the thank-you text on receipts/confirmation emails to include your DAF line and EIN.
3. If you need a quick qualifier, add a custom question (“Do you give through a donor-advised fund?”) at checkout or in a post-donation follow-up.
4. For event pages, add a checkout notice clarifying that DAF grants can’t cover benefits like tickets or tables.
5. Keep score with donor/donation exports or Donor Profiles so you can spot repeat DAF givers.

Quick DAF campaign setup checklist

We’ve created a checklist for all the basics you need to keep in mind while making your fundraising campaign DAF-friendly. Find it here:

DAF strategies by nonprofit size: Small teams to enterprise organizations

We saw how there are different ways throughout a fundraising campaign that nonprofits can ask for DAFs (directly and indirectly). But of course, different strategies will work on different levels according to the size of the team.

Rayna’s “Save the Bodegas” campaign, running on P2P campaigns and email forwards, might not need a landing page. On the other hand, Feeding America might need strategies a little bigger than personalized Thank-you receipts to the sponsor.

So, let’s look at which strategies work best on different levels of fundraising teams, with detailed steps for each:

Small teams that need quick wins

You don’t need a board or a big CRM. You need one owner, one hour, and the same line repeated in the right places.

Step 1: Make one person the “DAF checker”

Give a single teammate (staff or core volunteer) the job of keeping the DAF line visible and timely. Their weekly task: check yesterday’s gifts, send the one-paragraph thank-you if a DAF grant – or a big check – shows up, and schedule the 30-day update.

Step 2: Standardize the three places you control

Keep your wording identical so it sticks like an earworm that won’t leave.

On your donation page, in your receipt/confirmation, and in the footer of your emails, use the same short sentence that says you accept DAF grants and includes your legal name and EIN. No redesigns, just consistency.

Step 3: Find your first three DAF donors (without a board)

Look at repeat givers and anyone who’s ever mailed a check. Send a short, private note: “Do you give through a donor-advised fund? If yes, we can share the two details you’ll need.” You only need a handful to prove the flow works, and if they show interest, then scale.

Pro tip: Keep track with a simple spreadsheet like:

 Name | Likely DAF? | Date asked | Response | Grant date | 30-day follow-up due

Here’s a simple one-week mini-sprint small teams can apply to their DAF securing efforts:

• Day 1: Add the DAF line to page + receipt; draft your one-paragraph ask and one-paragraph thank-you.
• Day 3: Email your likely DAF donors (repeat/check givers).
• Day 7: Review responses and any grants; tweak wording once.
  

Light RallyUp assist (only where it helps)

1. Add your DAF line on the Donation Page (or campaign page) and set the thank-you wording so it appears in receipts/confirmation emails.
2. When you launch another fundraiser, copy the prior campaign so the DAF language follows. 
3. Each month, export donations (CSV) and tag DAF-related gifts in your sheet; if useful, add a custom checkout question to spot DAF donors without disrupting checkout.

Mid-size nonprofits: Standardize the setup and scale

As a mid-size organization, you’re already running multiple campaigns. The best way to integrate DAF asking is to consistently make DAF language part of every template and script, then measure it the same way everywhere.

Step 1: Template and segment

Add one short DAF block to your email, donation page, and P2P templates so it ships with every campaign. Keep the wording similar across different touchpoints.

Show the DAF cue to donors who gave $250+ in the last 18 months and to anyone who paid by check. Everyone else sees the standard version.

You can also review local community foundation grant lists and build relationships with advisors/sponsors who influence recommendations.

Step 2: Measure by channel

Each month, note three numbers for email, web, events, and P2P: DAF clicks/mentions, grants received, and repeat grants.

Step 3: Acknowledge fast, reuse copy

Keep two 100-word blurbs ready (program impact and services delivered). Send within two business days; schedule a 30-day update that invites a monthly or quarterly recommendation.

Step 4: Train the voices donors hear

Add one DAF sentence to thank-you call scripts and volunteer briefings so the message isn’t just in email.

RallyUp tip

Save a Donation Page with your DAF line and confirmation note, then duplicate it for new campaigns so language stays uniform. Use donation exports monthly to tie DAF grants back to the channel and update your one-pager.

Enterprise nonprofits: Govern well, personalize better

At scale, DAF growth isn’t just a button; it’s governance + empathetic outreach. Enterprise teams need clean processes for finance and data, and messages that feel personal to high-intent supporters and their advisors.

Many donors want a say in their DAF grants. Reaching out to them and making your cause known leads to recommendations to their DAF sponsors. Here are some ways for enterprises to do that:

Step 1: Forms and designations

Add a designation dropdown (programs/funds) and keep names identical across pages, receipts, and finance reports.

Pro tip: If you use RallyUp, set this on a master Donation Page and duplicate it for each campaign.

Step 2: Finance workflow (clean and fast)

• Capture a grant ID/reference, internal designation code, and notes.
• Follow through with SLAs: Log within 2 business days, and thank within 5.
• Export a monthly CSV for reconciliation and metrics.

Note: Most DAF grants arrive in 1-3 weeks after the donor recommends them, which is perfect for setting up your finances/Thank you SLAs.

Step 3: Portfolio and outreach

Surface “DAF-likely” donors to MGOs: previous check givers, notes mentioning “family fund,” repeat year-end gifts, privacy-preferring donors. Then log advisor touchpoints and reach out to them so relationships are humanized instead of being robotic in an email.

Use language according to the sector you’re in to draw out emotions, plus add in real proof of what other DAF funds have achieved. This makes the efforts all the more human.

Pro tip: You can also include a small follow-up after funds have been used for a cause.

Step 4: Advisor kit (2 pages, printable)

Create a program menu with designations + metrics, grant instructions (legal name, EIN, payment details), and your acknowledgment policy. Sending this kit out to DAFs with their acknowledgments acts as a “Stick with us in the future” message.

RallyUp tip 

Use a master Donation Page with designation + DAF microcopy; duplicate for brand/program pages. Pull donation exports monthly to tie DAF grants back to campaigns and inform MGO follow-ups.

Your next steps to start securing donor-advised fund grants today

Securing donor-advised funds for nonprofits comes from three simple habits.

• Awareness: Put one clear DAF line wherever donors look; donation page, confirmation/receipt, email footer, event script, and P2P pages, plus your legal name and EIN.
• Technical effort: Set it up once and reuse it. DAF microcopy on forms, a short “how to recommend a grant” page, one CRM tag (DAF), and an impact-first thank-you template; larger teams add a Designation field and basic SLAs for logging/acknowledgments.
• Outreach: Ask plainly in emails, on stage, and in follow-ups; after a grant arrives, send a quick impact note, then a 30-day update inviting monthly or quarterly recommendations.

Do these consistently, and DAF support shifts from occasional gifts to steady, predictable revenue, with minimal extra work.And of course, RallyUp’s support and technical features are here to help you out every step of the way.

FAQs on securing donor-advised funds