What is a Donor Advised Fund? Many donors and individuals are turning to donor-advised funds (DAFs) to assist with their charitable efforts. There has been an explosion in the use of DAFs, which are funds set up for charitable purposes that can facilitate large donations. Donor-advised funds are registered charitable foundations that are funded with cash, securities, or other assets. All the contributions are put into an account in the donor’s name, which is held by a DAF sponsor and eventually donated to