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The Day your Generosity Multiplies — with DAFs

Join 1,000s of others making Thursday October 9th the shared moment for bigger, better giving — with Donor Advised Funds.

DAF day is a national holiday for donors and nonprofits to get more from giving—with DAFs.

2 Million +

Charitable givers

$250B+

Committed funds

10x Impact*

When deploted

Donor Advised Funds are the fastest growing form of philanthropy* and have been shown to drastically increase support for critical causes*, once they are deployed.

There’s so many important causes in more need than ever this year. It’s not only important to give, but do so in a way that multiplies your generosity. DAF Day creates that exact opportunity: be part of a collective movement to give bigger & better — with DAFs.​

*According to the 2025 DAF Fundraising Report, which found that DAF giving grew by 30% in 2024 vs. a -1% decline in non-DAF giving. The report also analyzed how DAF giving changes donor behavior and found that donors increased their giving an average of 10x once they switched to DAF usage - and the median change was 2x. 

Get closer to a cure - with DAFs

On DAF Day 2024, Susan G. Komen raised $267,000 to fight breast cancer. This is what happens when hundreds of supporters use their DAFs together in a single day.

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Why donors choose DAFs

A DAF (Donor Advised Fund) is a tax-advantaged savings account for charity—like a 401k for your generosity goals. DAFs help you become more impactful, efficient and strategic with your donations.

Give bigger

Tax savings & extra accountability mean more dollars for impact.

Give better

Manage donations centrally, use your DAF anywhere with DAFpay.

Give together

69% of DAF gifts are <$1,000 - DAFs work for every budget.

Don’t have a DAF account yet? See if DAFs make sense for you

Who is behind DAF Day?

DAF Day is a collaboration among 1,000s of partners working to multiply generosity on October 9th. While you can give from any DAF to any nonprofit on DAF Day, the following organizations are leading the charge:

Don’t Miss DAF Day 2025

  • When is DAF Day 2025?
    October 9, 2025 - the second Thursday in October.
  • Why should I verify my organization with Chariot?
    Every organization that has claimed their Chariot account and completed Chariot’s compliance verification* will appear as a verified DAF Day Partner on the DAF Day Giving Page. Once verified, you will also have a branded page for your organization with DAFpay activated on the DAF Day Giving page that you can share with donors.
  • What is DAFpay by Chariot?
    DAFpay is the express checkout option for DAFs that can be added to any eligible donation form. DAFpay allows DAF holders to donate with their DAF account in 3 clicks - faster than a credit card - right where they are most inspired to give. DAFpay also allows donors to share their contact details with a nonprofit, so they know the moment a gift is initiated, can include in campaigns in real-time and send thank you emails immediately.
  • How can I open a DAF?
    The first question to ask is “What will my DAF do?” Having a good sense of your goals and intentions for your giving will help you make the best decision between a lot of great DAF options. Any DAF provider’s website will have instructions on opening an account, and the process varies from a simple mobile app, to some light paperwork. Consult the DAF Day Get a DAF Guide for more specific guidance on selecting and getting started with your first DAF!.
  • Can I use my DAF outside of DAF Day?
    Yes, and you should! One of the great things about DAFs is that there’s no tax consideration to make a gift out of your DAF (you got the tax benefit upfront). So you can and should use your DAF all year long, any time you’re inspired to give. If you love using the DAFpay option on the DAF Day Giving Page, you should also check for it on nonprofit donation forms, website and campaign pages! DAF Day is available on over 60,000 nonprofits forms.
  • What is a donor advised fund (DAF)?
    A DAF is a tax-advantaged charitable giving account. DAFs are often compared to a 401(k) for retirement savings or a Health Savings Account (HSA) for healthcare expenses. You can contribute cash or assets, get the tax benefit up front (if applicable), invest the balance in the market and make grants out to nonprofits over time. Any person, couple, family–or even company–can open a DAF account at more than 1,000 providers around the country. DAFs have surged in popularity in recent years because they are incredibly effective at increasing giving capacity and streamlining philanthropy - for donors big & small.
  • Can I participate outside of the US?
    You can absolutely commit to giving from a DAF on October 9th outside of the U.S. Chariot’s technology is currently only available to DAFs and nonprofits based in the U.S., so you will not be able to give with your DAF through DAFpay on DAF Day is the only limitation to be aware of.
  • Do I have to have a DAF to participate in DAF Day?
    DAF Day is a movement for greater DAF giving. The most powerful way to participate is to have a DAF and use it as a collective on October 9th to strengthen the missions most meaningful to you. Many DAFs have no minimum account size and minimum gift sizes are as low as $18. Check out our “Get a DAF” guide to learn more about picking the right DAF for you. Note: Especially if you’re a nonprofit fundraiser, having a DAF yourself is the best way to understand how they work and effectively engage with your donors on the topic of DAF giving. Learn more about how & why it helps here.
  • What are the benefits to opening a DAF?
    The three primary advantages of DAFs are that their users tend to: Give Bigger: thanks to potential tax advantages and psychological advantages of pre-committing funds to charity, DAF holders have been shown to drastically increase their giving to the causes they care about once they start using a DAF. Give Better: by centralizing giving in a DAF, you streamline and organize your philanthropy. You’re able to set goals, increase accountability and see all your donations in one place so you can save time and support more causes. Give Together: with tools like DAFpay - ApplePay for DAFs, letting you checkout with your DAF directly on donation forms - and initiatives like DAF Day, you get all the personal benefits of inspiration-based & collective giving, with the practical perks of a DAF.
  • Does it cost anything to participate in DAF Day?
    No. There is no cost to participate, and no cost to claim your Chariot account or use the marketing toolkit. If you receive a gift from a DAF that utilizes Chariot Disbursements for grant payments, you can transfer those funds to an external account up to twice per month at no cost. If donors utilize DAFpay to support your organization, and you don’t have a Chariot subscription, fees do apply that are typically in-line with the credit card processing fees on the platform where DAFpay is present.
  • Can any nonprofit be featured on the DAF Day Giving Page?
    All 1.4 million DAF-eligible nonprofit organizations will be discoverable on the DAF Day Giving Page. Only organizations that have claimed their Chariot account and completed their compliance verification will appear as verified, be highlighted + have their logo and website visible.
  • How do I make sure my nonprofit gets featured on the DAF Day Giving Page?
    Get Verified: Every organization that has claimed their Chariot account and completed Chariot’s compliance verification* will appear as a verified DAF Day Partner on the DAF Day Giving Page.
  • Is DAF Day a physical event?
    There is no central, designated event for DAF Day on October 9th, but you are welcome to engage your donors and community however you see fit!
  • Do I need to have DAFpay to participate in DAF Day?
    No, you can participate in DAF Day in any way that suits your organization. However, if you get verified you will have a branded page for your organization with DAFpay activated on the DAF Day Giving page that you can link donors to.
  • What do I need to do to join DAF Day?
    There’s no sign up required to participate, but we recommend 2 steps to be an official partner and get the most out of the initiative: Get Verified: Every organization that has claimed their Chariot account and completed Chariot’s compliance verification* will appear as a verified DAF Day Partner on the DAF Day Giving Page. Get the Marketing Toolkit: It contains a host of resources (templates, graphics, messaging, etc.) to make participation as low lift as possible for any organization.
  • Can my organization participate outside of the US?
    You can still absolutely encourage your supporters to use DAFs (or an equivalent vehicle in your country) and give from them on October 9th. You are welcome to leverage the toolkit, but be mindful of references that are US-specific that you’ll want to edit.

Reach out with questions

*Chariot runs an industry-leading compliance program and your verification signals to potential DAF donors that not only is your organization DAF eligible, but also that a verified Control Person with validated identity is engaged to utilize the donation promptly & effectively. Chariot accounts also all include a Chariot Deposit Account (CDA) to receive rapid, data-rich grant payments from participating DAF providers.

**Chariot is a financial technology company, not a bank. Chariot Deposit Accounts are a Demand Deposit Account through our banking services partner, Column, N.A., Member FDIC. Deposits in Chariot Deposit Accounts are eligible for FDIC insurance up to $250,000 per depositor, for each insurable capacity in which the account is held.

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