How do I get donor-advised fund donors to give to me directly?

The result: donors give straight to you, not to the big nonprofit down the street that speaks for you. Donor-advised funds gave out $64.9 billion in 2024 and hold $326 billion (DAF Research Collaborative, 2025).

• A. Be eligible. You need to be a 501(c)(3) or have a fiscal sponsor.
• B. Be findable (one afternoon). Confirm you appear in the IRS exempt organization search. Claim your Candid profile. Ask the Columbus Foundation to list you in its Giving Store directory. Sign up for electronic payment with Fidelity, Schwab and Vanguard.
• C. Add a "Give from your donor-advised fund" button to your donate page, with your legal name, tax ID and address beside it.
• D. Ask. "Many of our supporters give through a donor-advised fund. You can recommend a grant to [legal name], tax ID [number]. Choose general support. It takes three minutes, and it goes straight to [neighborhood]."
  Who to ask first: your board, anyone who gives you $1,000 or more a year, and anyone who has given you stock. Those are the people most likely to have a fund.
• E. Know the rules. A donor-advised fund grant can't buy tickets, raffle entries or benefits, and can't pay a binding pledge.
• F. Follow up. Thank them within 48 hours. Report to them twice a year.

Done when: your first donor-advised fund grant clears and that donor is on your report schedule.

Last checked: October 2026.