Donor-Advised Funds (DAFs) let you take a tax deduction now and decide later which charities to support. This flexibility is great for avoiding impulsive giving and allowing you time to research worthy causes. But there’s a catch: a lot of money never makes it out to charities that need it to continue doing their important work today.
By the National Philanthropic Trust’s estimate, $251.52 billion sat in DAFs as of the end of 2023, up from $228.92 billion in 2022. These are dollars that could otherwise be feeding families, housing people in crisis, aiding injured veterans, and funding medical research. That’s why nonprofits, fundraising platforms, and DAF sponsors created DAF Day (observed this year on October 9, 2025) to encourage donors to move at least 10% from their DAFs into programmatic work now.
If you have a DAF at Fidelity Charitable, DAFgiving360 (formerly Schwab Charitable), Vanguard Charitable, National Philanthropic Trust, or elsewhere, please consider recommending grants on DAF Day. Browse CharityWatch’s Top-Rated charities by cause area to identify efficient organizations that meet our benchmarks for governance and transparency—then log in to your DAF and make your distributions.
CharityWatch is the only independent charity watchdog in the United States. Our ratings and investigations aren’t bought, sponsored, or influenced by the nonprofit industry—we rely on donors like you to maintain our independence. If our work helps you steer your giving to effective, ethical charities (and away from the ones that aren’t), please include a grant to CharityWatch from your DAF on October 9—or anytime. Your support funds the deep-dive financial analysis and tough, unbiased reporting that helps keep the nonprofit sector honest.
In your DAF portal, search for CharityWatch (American Institute of Philanthropy, Tax ID #33-0491030) and recommend a grant for general support so we can put your gift to work where it’s needed most. No DAF? You can also donate directly on our website.
Thank you for giving wisely—and for powering the watchdog that makes wise giving possible.