Understanding & Stewarding Donor-Advised Funds is a free, one-hour session hosted by Place2Give Foundation and Transform Philanthropy, designed for charity fundraising and communications staff who want a clear, practical handle on how DAFs work and strategies to build real relationships with the donors behind them.

In the last fiscal year, over 75,000 DAF’s moved $2 billion in grants to Canadian charities, and that number keeps climbing. If your organization hasn’t received a DAF gift yet, it likely will soon. The question is whether your team is ready to recognize it, say thank you, and turn it into a lasting relationship.

That’s what this webinar is for.

What We Heard From Charity Partners

According to WellFunded, Place2Give Foundation ranks 9th in Alberta and 54th in Canada in amount disbursed relative to size of foundation. Of note, the national disbursement average for all Donor Advised Funds is 9% and Place2Give currently disburses 13% of its total Assets Under Management (AUM). 

More significant is the number of fund accounts that are growing within Donor Advised Fund Foundations across Canada. Today approximately $17.3Billion is under DAF management across the 200+ DAF Foundations. Of the $154Billion AUM this This represents 11% of all total philanthropic dollars under management in Canada.

Donor Advised Fund business is BIG business.

Place2Give Foundation recently interviewed charity recipients across our network to talk about their day-to-day experience with DAF gifts. A few themes came up again and again:

  • Most organizations’ hands-on experience is limited to one or two DAF platforms, not the broader landscape.
  • Even relatively knowledgeable staff sometimes think of a DAF as just a tax tool rather than an ongoing philanthropic relationship.
  • The single most common question: How do you build a relationship with a donor you can’t contact directly?
  • Every charity we spoke with wanted more practical, ready-to-use materials on this exact topic.

This webinar was built directly from that feedback.

What You’ll Learn

  • What are DAFs, and why more donors are choosing one over a direct gift.
  • How the donor →Foundation → Charity relationship works, and who’s responsible for what.
  • A playbook for getting on DAF donors’ radar, identifying who they are, and thanking them properly.
  • How to fold DAF giving into your legacy and planned-giving conversations.
  • The most common myths about DAF donors and why they’re not just one-time, mega-gift givers.

Stewarding Donor-Advised Funds Webinar Details

September 22, 2026, 10:30AM MST

Format: via Zoom, 60 minutes, with live polls and Q&A

Cost: Free. Registration is required.

Whether you’re new to DAFs or just want to sharpen your stewardship approach, you’ll leave with a checklist you can put to work right away.

Register now

Can’t make it live? Register anyway and we’ll send the recording and resources to everyone who signs up.