March 6, 2025
From the Desk of
Jane M. Barghothi¦ Associate Partner
Donor Advised Funds (DAFs) have been around for decades and recently have seen significant growth. In 2023, DAFs held $251.52 billion in assets, and grants to nonprofits totaled $54.77 billion.
Though I do not think DAFs will be the only giving trend that will continue to grow, I do think all organizations need to think about and plan around donors and DAFs.
The world of fundraising continues to evolve – donor advised funds will continue to grow. Having a plan for making the most of this giving vehicle will benefit your organization for generations to come.
DAFgiving360 Donors Award $7.7+ in 2024
DAFgiving360 (formerly Schwab Charitable ) reports that its donors contributed over $7.7 billion to charity in 2024, marking a 25% increase ($1.5 billion) year-over-year. Donors awarded more than 1.3 million grants in support of 151,000 individual nonprofits. Contributions included over $175 million for disaster relief. Seventy-two percent of grant recommendations were unrestricted, enabling organizations to allocate the funds where they were most needed swiftly, and one out of every three allocations was established as a recurring grant. Additionally, 83% of donors directed funds within their home state. PND 2-17
2025 Will Require More From Boards
Boards will be more important than ever as nonprofits navigate a tricky financial landscape and political uncertainty. If you have people that are not showing up to meetings and you have people that are not engaged, they’re not helping you with the fundraising, making it very difficult for an organization to be successful and to move forward.
Many leaders have noticed this problem, particularly following the pandemic. With so many board meetings happening over video calls, it’s harder to create a cohesive board culture. Board members may not spend much time together, which can lead to a lack of engagement.
Steps to Consider
Having an engaged, skilled, diverse board will be even more important this year and moving forward. If you have a board that’s there as your partner in a really positive way, you will have a clear advantage. COP, 2-14
Museum Donors Included in Top Donors List
For the second year in a row, former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg gave the most to charitable causes, according to The Chronicle of Philanthropy’s Philanthropy 50 list of the Americans who donated the largest sums to nonprofits last year. Bloomberg gave $3.7 billion. Six donors on the list gave $1 billion or more.
Among those who gave big — but are less well known is retired insurance executive Hyatt Brown and his wife, Cici, at No. 20, gave the Museum of Arts & Sciences, in Daytona Beach, Fla., $150 million for a new building and to turn its current home into a children’s museum.
Bloomberg was one of six donors who gave $1 billion or more in 2024. The others were Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings and his wife, Patty Quillin (No. 2), Dell Technologies founder Michael Dell and his wife, Susan Dell (No. 3), investor Warren Buffett (No. 4), Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, physician Priscilla Chan (No. 5), and retired professor Ruth Gottesman (No. 6). COP, 3-4
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For more than 35 years, Alexander Haas has been a fixture in the nonprofit community. We are honored to have worked with leading museums and cultural organizations across the country that help communities be a better place to live. Just ask our clients.
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