Program

Understanding donor advised funds and community foundations: Best practices for working with DAF donors

January 31, 2025

Donor advised funds (DAFs) are a powerful tool for philanthropy, offering news organizations a way to tap into a growing segment of charitable giving. 

The Lenfest News Philanthropy Network was joined by Vanguard Charitable Senior Manager and Product Owner Vicky Kelberer and Spotlight Delaware Publisher and CEO Allison Taylor Levine, who spent more than a decade at the Delaware Community Foundation. 

This session covers the essentials of DAFs, explains the roles of community foundations, and provides actionable insights on how to engage with donors who use these funds to support causes that matter. 

Learn more about:

• What donor advised funds are and how they work 

• How to approach and engage DAF holders for journalistic causes 

• Best practices for structuring your fundraising appeals to align with DAF giving 

• How to make the most of the tax advantages that DAFs offer both donors and your organization 

• Tips for building relationships with fund advisors, community foundations, and nonprofits to enhance your impact 

Whether you’re a journalist, a development professional, or part of a newsroom’s fundraising team, this session can help you develop a more strategic and informed approach to DAFs, ultimately boosting your fundraising efforts and strengthening the financial foundation of your newsroom. 

Vicky's slides on DAFs Vicky's slides on DAFs

Allison's slides on community foundations Allison's slides on community foundations

Additional resources

• Cause IQ – Community Foundations in New York State
• Media Impact Funders – Media Grants Database – A comprehensive list of every community foundation grant to media and journalism since 2009. Filter by region.
• Santa Fe Community Foundation DAFs – While they do not list the grants directly, you can find more information about DAFs on their website.
• Johnson Center – DAF Grant Trends Report – A great resource on DAF trends, showing that only 32% of DAF grants were made in the fourth quarter.
• Spotlight Delaware – Local News and Information Ecosystem Assessment – Includes background data, with links to sources, on Delaware’s media landscape.

• Vanguard Charitable – Resources for Nonprofits – Information and resources for nonprofits looking to engage with DAF donors.