Rethinking Donor-Advised Funds: From Transactional Giving to Collective Impact

Transforming Systems for GoodDemonstrating New ModelsBuilding Better Systems for Better Access
Written By Bryce Butler

Donor-advised funds (DAFs) are one of the fastest-growing tools in philanthropy—but are they helping or hurting? In this candid conversation, Bryce Butler sits down with longtime friend and CIO of Access Ventures, TJ Abood, to explore the origins, challenges, and potential of DAFs as more than just a transactional giving tool.

They unpack how DAFs went from community-oriented giving vehicles to impersonal wealth management products—and what it will take to bring them back to their relational, catalytic roots. From charitable “inertia” to creative investing, they offer a hopeful reimagining of DAFs as engines of both generosity and innovation.

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Bryce Butler
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