While donor-advised funds have been around since the 1930s, they have recently become the fastest-growing charitable vehicle in the United States, and the Donor Advised Fund Research Collaborative (DAFRC) is at the forefront of leading efforts to study them. The DAFRC aims to help improve best practices and broaden the understanding of how donor-advised funds work in the charitable giving landscape.
The 2024 National Study on Donor-Advised Funds, led by the DAFRC, is the most extensive independent study on donor-advised funds to date. This new study highlights how donor-advised funds can accommodate an array of giving patterns and preferences. Some key data points:
- 49% of donor-advised funds had less than $50,000 in assets, while only 7% had $1 million or more balances at the end of 2021.
- From 2020 to 2022, 78% of all donor-advised funds made at least one grant.
- 59% of grants were for general operating support.
- 54% of donor-advised funds granted out at least half of their original contribution within three years. After eight years, about 58% had granted out 100% of the original contribution.
Our team at Greater Horizons is proud to have contributed to this study. We believe these findings showcase donor-advised funds’ influential role in enabling meaningful and easy philanthropy.