DAFgiving360®, one of the largest national providers of donor-advised funds (DAFs) and related philanthropic resources, reports that donors granted more than $10 billion to charities in fiscal year 2026 (ended June 30, 2026). This represents a 22% increase in dollars granted to charity compared to the previous fiscal year and unlocks a new giving milestone for the organization and its donors.
“The volume of consistent granting we witnessed from our donors this year exemplifies what donor-advised funds make possible, and it reflects how deeply our donors are engaged in their philanthropy year-round,” said Julie Sunwoo, President of DAFgiving360. “Surpassing $10 billion in grants is an incredible milestone for our donors and the organizations they support. Donor-advised funds are one of the most powerful vehicles for connecting generosity with impact, and we are honored to support our donors at every step of that journey.”
Five key data points from DAFgiving360’s fiscal year highlight the generosity and impact of DAF donors.
1. Donors granted $30 million each day
Throughout the fiscal year, DAFgiving360 donors donated an average of nearly $30 million in grants to charities per day, with 74% of donors reporting that having a DAF account increases their charitable giving.
Donors recommended more than 1.6 million grants at a pace of over 4,300 grants per day – a 21% increase from the previous fiscal year.
2. Donors recommended more than 99,000 grants each month
Donors recommended more than 99,000 grants in all 12 months of the fiscal year, demonstrating that DAFs enable donors to advance their short- and long-term charitable goals year-round beyond peak planning moments. The top months for granting were December, November, October, January, and May.
Three quarters of grants (74%) also were not designated for a specific purpose, giving charities the flexibility to deploy the funds when and where they are needed most.
“I give throughout the year. I’ve built a cadence of giving based on my own assessment of the nonprofits I support and when they most need funds. A lot of people give at year‑end, and there’s merit to that. Year‑round giving is my way of acknowledging that the needs don’t pause just because the calendar does,” said a DAFgiving360 donor.
3. Almost half of all grants were set up as recurring
For every one account contribution, donors recommended more than 10 grants to charity in fiscal year 2026, and nearly half (40%) of all grants were set up as recurring grants – reflecting donors’ strong connections and ongoing commitment to the causes they care about.
With no account minimum requirements to set up an account, DAFgiving360 makes opening and granting through a DAF accessible for giving at any level – underscored by the $500 median grant size in fiscal year 2026. Donors often open DAFs for a shared giving experience, with 59% of accounts having more than one account user.
DAF accounts can also be invested to potentially grow the amount available for charity. Investment appreciation in DAF accounts is tax-exempt, allowing the full amount to be available to support giving now and in the future. Investment growth in fiscal year 2026 created an additional $9.6 billion available for grants to charity.
4. Three-quarters of contributions were assets other than cash
Non-cash assets unlocked more dollars for charity in fiscal year 2026. Almost three-quarters (73%) of dollars contributed were in the form of non-cash assets, such as individual stocks, including pre- and post-IPO shares, ETFs and mutual funds, and private business interests. Donating appreciated assets, such as cryptocurrency, rather than selling the assets first can allow donors to eliminate capital gains tax on the donated asset and claim a fair market value charitable deduction – a potentially smart and efficient tax planning strategy that can meaningfully increase the total dollars that go to charity.
Eight out of ten DAFgiving360 donors (82%) gave assets other than cash to their DAFs last fiscal year. One of the benefits of donating through a DAF is that DAF sponsors like DAFgiving360 have the resources to process and liquidate non-cash contributions. This allows donors to focus on charitable goals and charities to focus on their mission.
Advisors play a central role in supporting clients with their charitable planning and distilling how philanthropy fits into their holistic wealth management plan. More than 5,400 advisory firms support DAFgiving360 donors, with each advisor working with an average of 15 donors.
“Whether driven by market appreciation, concentrated stock positions, business ownership, or liquidity events, many investors today hold appreciated assets that can be used to support charitable goals in a highly tax-efficient way,” continued Sunwoo. “For advisors, this presents an opportunity to deepen client relationships by helping clients achieve both philanthropic and financial objectives.”
5. Donors supported charities in all 50 states
In fiscal year 2026, DAFgiving360 donors supported more than 170,000 charities, a 12% increase year-over-year. This included more than 30,000 charities which were supported by DAFgiving360 donors for the first time.
Donors gave to charities across all 50 states, and 88% of donors supported at least one charity within their home state, demonstrating that donors remain committed to supporting their local communities.
DAFgiving360 donors benefit from an enhanced giving experience via the Schwab Mobile app, allowing donors to initiate grants faster and more seamlessly. Donors can quickly access charities they’ve supported or searched for before, as well as find and select new charities more easily, completing granting steps within minutes.
Increasing impact through education
Through a combination of educational tools, resources, and insights from leading sector organizations, DAFgiving360 helps advisors and donors approach philanthropy thoughtfully and strategically. From providing timely content on tax-smart giving strategies and updates as tax laws evolve – including the recently enacted One Big Beautiful Bill Act – to hosting an ongoing advisor webcast series, DAFgiving360 offers guidance to help donors and advisors navigate the changing landscape, maximize the value of every charitable dollar, and identify new giving opportunities to help donors give with greater intention year-round.
About DAFgiving360
DAFgiving360® is an independent 501(c)(3) public charity with a mission to increase charitable giving in the U.S. DAFgiving360 does this by providing the tax-smart and simple giving solution of a donor-advised fund (DAF) account to donors and financial advisors. Since our founding in 1999 as a 501(c)(3) public charity, DAFgiving360 donors have recommended over $55 billion in grants to 300,000 charities. Visit dafgiving360.org to learn more.
DAFgiving360™ is the name used for the combined programs and services of Donor Advised Charitable Giving, Inc., an independent nonprofit organization which has entered into service agreements with certain subsidiaries of The Charles Schwab Corporation. DAFgiving360 is a tax-exempt public charity as described in Sections 501(c)(3), 509(a)(1), and 170(b)(1)(A)(vi) of the Internal Revenue Code.
Contributions made to DAFgiving360 are considered an irrevocable gift and are not refundable. Once contributed, DAFgiving360 has exclusive legal control over the contributed assets.
A donor’s ability to claim itemized deductions is subject to a variety of limitations depending on the donor’s specific tax situation.
Contributions of certain real estate, private equity, or other illiquid assets may be accepted via a charitable intermediary, with proceeds transferred to a donor-advised fund (DAF) account upon liquidation. Call DAFgiving360 for more information at 800-746-6216.
Market fluctuations may cause the value of investment fund shares held in a donor-advised fund (DAF) account to be worth more or less than the value of the original contribution to the funds.
DAFgiving360 does not provide legal or tax advice. Please consult a qualified legal or tax advisor where such advice is necessary or appropriate.
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