Highlights from the 2023 DAF Report

This week National Philanthropic Trust (NPT) released our 2023 Donor-Advised Fund Report, the annual in-depth analysis of the donor-advised fund (DAF) sector in the United States.  
 
Last year proved a pivotal year for DAF donors. DAFs reached yet another record-breaking milestone in grantmaking, as well as an increase in contributions; all in the face of a challenging year in the U.S. financial markets. 
 
NPT’s 2023 Donor-Advised Fund Report looked at 2018 through 2023 fiscal year data from 1,151 charitable organizations offering DAFs.  
 
These are the most pivotal takeaways and notable findings in this year’s report:  

2023 Donor-Advised Fund Report Highlights  

• DAF donors, once again, granted at historic levels. Grants from DAFs to qualified charitable organizations totaled an estimated $52.16 billion, representing a 9 percent increase compared to 2021. This is the first year where grants from DAFs exceeded $50 billion.  
   
• The total number of individual DAF accounts in 2022 increased by 2.9 percent to 1,948,545.  
   
• The DAF payout rate was 22.5 percent. While down 6.2 percentage points compared with 2021’s high-water mark, the DAF payout rate has remained above 20 percent for every year on record. 
   
• Charitable assets under management declined 1.1 percent and totaled $228.89 billion. Strong donor activity offset the effects of constricting global financial markets.  
   
• DAF contributions totaled $85.53 billion in 2022, a 9 percent increase from $78.44 billion in 2021.  

For highlights from the report, download our PDF below:

Read the full 2023 report for more findings, including a breakdown by DAF sponsor types and additional statistics.

About the Author

Andrew Hastings is NPT’s Chief Enterprise Officer and has 30 years of experience in the philanthropic and nonprofit marketplace. Mr. Hastings is responsible for advancing NPT’s strategic vision, evaluating innovative solutions, amplifying NPT’s thought leadership, and positioning the organization for continued growth and service to our donors.