HalfMyDAF is a philanthropic initiative founded in May 2020 by Jennifer and David Risher. The campaign provides matching grants to donors who commit to distributing at least half of their donor-advised fund (DAF) assets to nonprofit organizations by an annual fall deadline.[1][2] It emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic, amid broader debate about the accumulation of charitable assets in donor-advised funds and the pace at which those funds are distributed to operating nonprofits.[3]
Background
editDonor-advised funds held an estimated $121 billion in assets in the United States in 2018, according to figures cited in the San Francisco Chronicle from the National Philanthropic Trust.[3] The same figures reported that $37 billion flowed into donor-advised funds that year, while $23 billion was distributed, and that donor-advised funds accounted for roughly one out of every eight dollars donated by individuals in 2018.[3]
Founding and structure
editJennifer and David Risher launched #HalfMyDAF in May 2020. David Risher is chief executive officer of Lyft and co-founder of the nonprofit Worldreader; Jennifer Risher is the author of We Need to Talk: A Memoir About Wealth.[4]
The initiative operates through a matching-grant system. Donors commit to distributing at least half of their DAF balance by an annual fall deadline.[5] Participating donors submit confirmation of their grants through an online form, and nonprofits receiving those grants become eligible for randomly selected matching grants, typically ranging from $5,000 to $10,000 per organization.[1][2][5]
Impact
editIn its inaugural year, #HalfMyDAF participants distributed $8.6 million from their DAFs to more than 750 nonprofits.[5] Robb Report later stated that the program moved $19.2 million from donor-advised funds to nonprofits during the 2021 campaign.[4] Early participants included John Palfrey (then chief executive of the MacArthur Foundation), VMware chief executive Pat Gelsinger, and Microsoft chief marketing officer Chris Capossela.
Reception
editIn coverage of donor-advised fund responses to calls for faster giving, Nonprofit Quarterly identified #HalfMyDAF as one example of a practice intended to accelerate the distribution of charitable capital.[6] More broadly, the initiative has been discussed within continuing debate over donor-advised fund payout rates and whether voluntary campaigns can meaningfully increase charitable distributions.
References
edit- 1 2 Dubb, Steve (2020-06-12). "Couple Challenges Fellow DAF Holders to Halve Their DAFs by September 30th". Nonprofit Quarterly. Retrieved 2026-06-03.
- 1 2 Daniels, Alex (2020-05-07). "'HalfMyDAF' Movement Aims to Spur a Boost in Donor-Advised-Fund Grants". The Chronicle of Philanthropy. Retrieved 2026-06-03.
- 1 2 3 "Donor-advised funds are stacking up cash". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2026-06-03.
- 1 2 Cooperman, Jackie (2021-12-05). "Meet Maverick Philanthropists With New Models for Tackling Climate Change, Racial Inequality and More". Robb Report. Retrieved 2026-06-03.
- 1 2 3 Jope, Jen (2020-05-12). "#HalfMyDAF: A Challenge to Donors to Unlock Capital for a Reimagined World". Giving Compass. Retrieved 2026-06-03.
- ↑ DeVaan, Bella; Collins, Chuck (2025-06-25). "Meet the Donor-Advised Funds That Are Meeting the Moment". Nonprofit Quarterly. Retrieved 2026-06-03.