You’ve probably heard of Giving Tuesday. But have you heard of DAF Day?
DAF Day is a new national day of giving that promotes the use of donor-advised funds (DAFs) to support charities.
Typically held in October, DAF Day 2026 is on Thursday, October 8, 2026.
If you’re on the fence about participating in DAF Day as a nonprofit, there are plenty of potential benefits to consider. Let’s explore those here.
What Is DAF Day?
A donor-advised fund is a giving account where you can donate assets, get an immediate tax break, and recommend grants to nonprofits anytime.
While donors use DAFs for giving all throughout the year, DAF Day is about bringing DAF donors together in unified generosity on a single day.
In its second year, DAF Day 2025 built on the first year’s momentum with even bigger numbers:
- Nonprofit turnout quadrupled, growing to roughly 4,400 participating organizations.
- DAF provider involvement grew sixfold, with 30 DAFs — including Thrivent Charitable and the Arizona Community Foundation — taking part.
- Daffy, which promoted the day in both 2024 and 2025, saw its giving climb 70% year-over-year. [8]
7 Reasons Your Nonprofit Should Join DAF Day!
With these impressive stats from DAF Day 2025, DAF Day 2026 promises even stronger results.
If your organization has DAF donors, DAF Day is a ready-made opportunity to activate them. It’s a national moment designed to remind donors that their giving funds are ready and waiting to be put to work.
Here are a few reasons to get involved:
1. DAF donors are already primed to give.
These donors have set aside money specifically for charitable giving. They don’t need to weigh new tax implications or budget timing. Their only decision is where to give. DAF Day creates a sense of urgency and community that helps them act. [5]
2. Participation costs nothing but could unlock untapped generosity.
Joining DAF Day is free for nonprofits. Participating organizations in last year’s event saw DAF gifts they didn’t even know were possible just by being listed or promoted as part of the event. [4]
3. It builds visibility and trust with high-intent donors.
Donors who give through DAFs often do research before making a grant. When your organization shows up as an active participant in a recognized giving day, it signals readiness and accountability.
4. It’s easy to add to your donation page.
Platforms like Infinite Giving add a “DAF Grant” option to your own donation page where donors can search 300+ fund sponsors and submit pledge details directly, so your team sees the donor’s name, gift amount, and designation the moment they pledge rather than waiting on an anonymous check.
5. It sparks long-term giving habits.
DAF donors tend to stay engaged. Research shows their retention rates are higher than average, and they’re more likely to make multiple gifts each year. DAF Day can be your entry point into stronger, year-round donor relationships. [5]
6. It’s not just for your major donors.
According to Chariot’s 2025 DAF Fundraising Report, 42% of DAF gifts to the 32 nonprofits in the study were under $250, indicating that DAF giving is not just for large gifts we might associate with major donors. And encouraging giving through DAF accounts can be helpful for all donors. [7]
7. Use a campaign to build connections with your donors.
Finding and prioritizing the right campaigns as a nonprofit can unlock huge potential to connect with your donors over topics that matter to them.
Make DAF Day one of those opportunities.
You can create a campaign ahead of time to build awareness around DAF Day and follow it up with an intentional thank-you series to communicate with those who gave.
Using a fundraising paltform with automation capabilities, such as Virtuous CRM+, allows you to send personalized messages to donors about DAF Day.
Before DAF Day: Build awareness with segmented outreach based on donor history. For example, automatically send educational content about donor-advised funds to donors who’ve never made a DAF gift, while prompting prior DAF givers with tailored reminders and giving links.
On DAF Day: Use automated form confirmation emails to trigger personalized responses as donors take action. When a gift is made, send an instant thank-you email or SMS. If a donor visits your giving page but doesn’t complete their gift, use automation to trigger a gentle nudge 24 hours later to remind them.
After DAF Day: Automatically enroll donors into a follow-up series based on their engagement. Those who gave through a DAF can receive stories about the impact of their gift and an invitation to set up recurring support. Those who didn’t give can be invited into a second-chance campaign or offered more resources to help them take the next step.
→ Schedule a Virtuous Demo now to learn more about how to use automation for your DAF campaign.
What is a DAF?
A donor-advised fund, or DAF, is a charitable giving account that lets individuals set aside money for future donations to nonprofits. The donor gets an immediate tax deduction when they contribute, and the funds can be invested to grow over time. [1] You can also make grants from your DAF to qualified nonprofits whenever the timing feels right.
A helpful way to explain DAFs is by comparing them to accounts people already know: HSAs and 401(k)s. [2]
- A 401(k) is for retirement savings
- An HSA is for medical expenses
- A DAF is for charitable giving
All three accounts come with tax benefits, allow money to grow through investments, and include rules about how the funds can be used. Once money is in a DAF, it has to go to a registered nonprofit. The donor can’t take it back or use it for personal gain.
But while 401(k)s and HSAs are typically tied to life needs like aging or health, DAFs rely more on the donor’s initiative. There’s no built-in deadline to give, which is why large amounts of money often sit in DAFs for months or years.
That’s where DAF Day comes in, a national holiday encouraging donors to move those dollars off the sidelines and into the hands of nonprofits making a difference.
More Giving Day Resources
If you’re interested in building out campaigns around giving days, check out our Giving Tuesday Playbook, a full guide to creating a strategic marketing plan for Giving Tuesday.
DAF Day FAQs
What is the meaning of DAF?
A donor-advised fund is a charitable giving account where you can contribute cash, stock, or other assets, get an immediate tax deduction, and then make grant recommendations to nonprofits whenever you’re ready.
What is Dafday?
DAF Day is a national day to celebrate donor-advised funds, encouraging donors to put their charitable dollars to work by making grants from their DAFs to the causes they care about most.
What day is DAF Day 2026?
DAF Day 2026: Thursday, October 8, 2026
What day was DAF Day 2025?
DAF Day 2025: Thursday, October 9, 2025
Sources:
[1] https://www.michaeljfox.org/dafday
[3] https://www.dafday.com/daf-101
[4] https://nonprofithub.org/10-reasons-your-nonprofit-should-participate-in-daf-day-2025/
[6] https://www.dafday.com/marketing-toolkit
[7] https://www.givechariot.com/daf-fundraising-report
