Professional Certificate Program
Donor-Advised Fund Certificate Program
Best For
Professionals seeking expertise in the use of donor-advised funds.
Timing
12 Hours
Format
Gain comprehensive knowledge of donor-advised funds through a 100% online curriculum and support from preeminent philanthropic planning thought leaders.
100% Online
Launch Date
Coming Soon
Join the Waitlist
The Donor-Advised Fund Professional Certificate Program is coming soon! Add your name to our waitlist to stay updated and enroll once launched.
Specialize in Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) Planning
Get Applied Planning Knowledge
Learn the ins and outs of DAFs from experts in philanthropic planning — advisors and nonprofit professionals welcome!
Expand Knowledge on Your Time
Our all-online donor-advised fund certificate makes learning a breeze — can complete in as little as 12 hours!
Grow Your Client Base
Earn your seat at the table with donor and nonprofit clients with expansive skills in an in-demand area of planning.
Certificate Program Overview
Admissions Requirements
There are no prerequisites required to begin the DAF Professional Certificate Program.
To receive the certificate, you must:
- Successfully complete the six online modules
- Agree to comply with The American College Code of Ethics and Procedures
What You'll Learn
The DAF professional certificate program provides a comprehensive, professionally rigorous education on donor-advised funds. It is designed for advisors, nonprofit professionals, and philanthropic practitioners who must understand DAFs across their full lifecycle, from formation and funding through investment, grantmaking, estate integration, and governance.
The curriculum emphasizes conceptual clarity, technical accuracy, and professional judgment. It is not designed to provide legal or tax advice, but to prepare learners to recognize issues, understand trade-offs, and collaborate effectively with qualified advisors. Learning outcomes include:
- The ability to apply legal and ethical standards in DAF management
- Knowledge on how to analyze DAFs for effective philanthropic strategies
- Applications of financial knowledge to maximize DAF impact
- Analysis on donor motivations and asset suitability
- Critical thinking skills to navigate DAF policy changes
Course Delivery
Earn your DAF professional certificate online while studying the curriculum at your own pace. Plus, get support from our academic advising team and the top thought leaders in the industry today.
- All-Online Resources: All-virtual lessons organized in sequential units and supported by short videos, knowledge checks, quizzes, and case studies.
- Expert Instruction: Get the latest insights delivered by preeminent thought leaders and researchers.
- Flexible E-learning: Complete coursework on your schedule.
- Comprehensive Curriculum: Get foundational knowledge and practical applications from an accredited institution.
There will also be an optional textbook, which students will be responsible for ordering.
Why Enroll?
You Want to Deepen Your Expertise
Increase Your DAF Impact
Amplify your insights to promote charitable giving and impact with one of the most powerful tools in philanthropic planning.
You Want a One-of-a-Kind Experience
Expand Your Knowledge of Charitable Giving
Enhance your professional credibility in gift planning with the only online certificate program specifically focused on DAFs.
You Want to Specialize in Focus
Gain Expertise in an In-Demand Field
Discover new ways to propel philanthropy and stand out to your donor and nonprofit clients with expert-level DAF knowledge.
Why Earn This Certificate?
$326B
Is the value of DAF-based assets reached in 2024.1
27.5%
The average growth of DAF assets in 20241 was...
$89.6B
Were contributed to DAFs in the United States in 2024.1
Module Overview
Philanthropic planning modules to complete
Six
Typical Completion Time
12 Hours
Donor-Advised Fund Fundamentals
Establishes shared language, historical legitimacy, and system-level understanding of donor-advised funds.
Upon completion of this DAF certificate course, you’ll be able to understand:
- Donor-advised fund terminology and structural definitions
- History and evolution of DAFs
- Legal guardrails and prohibited transactions
- Donor motivation and the DAF ecosystem
Tax Fundamentals
Provides accurate, practical understanding of charitable tax rules relevant to donor-advised funds.
Upon completion of this DAF certificate course, you’ll be able to understand:
- Charitable deduction rules and bunching strategies
- Prearranged sale doctrine, assignment of income, and unrelated business income tax
- Valuation of complex assets and IRS forms
- The One Big Beautiful Bill Act and charitable giving
Gift Acceptance
Explains asset characteristics and readiness for contribution.
Upon completion of this DAF certificate course, you’ll be able to understand:
- General asset types and valuation considerations
- Gifts of complex assets in real estate
- Gifts of complex assets in business and alternative assets
- Business owner exit planning and DAFs
Investing and Grant Management
Explains what happens inside a donor-advised fund after contribution.
Upon completion of this DAF certificate course, you’ll be able to understand:
- Grantmaking rules and eligible recipients
- Gift agreements and IRS Notice 2017-73
- International grantmaking rules
- Traditional and alternative investment strategies
Estate Planning and Planned Giving
Integrates donor-advised funds into lifetime and legacy planning.
Upon completion of this DAF certificate course, you’ll be able to understand:
- Estate planning overview and DAF succession
- Pairing DAFs with trusts
- DAFs, private foundations, and supporting organizations
- Multigenerational planning with DAFs
Ethics, Compliance, and Technology
Develops judgment and leadership in donor-advised fund stewardship.
Upon completion of this DAF certificate course, you’ll be able to understand:
- Ethics in DAF management
- DAF regulation landscape and court cases
- DAF technology tools
- Applied compliance, judgment, and the future of DAFs
Learn From the Leaders in Philanthropic Planning Education Today
Paul M. Caspersen
MS, CFP®, AEP®
Program Director, Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy® (CAP®)
Managing Director, The American College Center for Philanthropy and Social Impact
Wallace Chair
01 / 00
Paul M. Caspersen
MS, CFP®, AEP®
Program Director, Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy® (CAP®)
Managing Director, The American College Center for Philanthropy and Social Impact
Wallace Chair
DAF Program FAQs
The Donor-Advised Fund Professional Certificate Program provides a comprehensive, neutral, and professionally rigorous education on donor-advised funds. It is designed for advisors, nonprofit professionals, and philanthropic practitioners who must understand donor advised funds across their full lifecycle, from formation and funding through investment, grantmaking, estate integration, and governance. The curriculum emphasizes conceptual clarity, technical accuracy, and professional judgment. It is designed to prepare learners to recognize issues, understand trade-offs, and collaborate effectively with qualified advisors.
The Donor-Advised Fund Professional Certificate Program will begin enrollment in Spring 2026.
The Donor-Advised Fund Professional Certificate Program uses an on-demand, self-study, e-learning format. Finding time to meet in a mandatory live classroom setting can be difficult for working professionals, so this delivery method allows flexibility in an interactive, self-paced way. Students can complete courses when the time is convenient for them and earn the certificate after completing 12 hours of coursework. From the time they enroll, students will have 20 weeks to work through course material, which consists of videos and text lessons, interactives, and module quizzes.
The Donor-Advised Fund Professional Certificate Program has 12+ hours of content in the program, but learners will have up to 20 weeks to complete all course work and pass the program.
The Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy® (CAP®) is a specialized financial planning designation offered by The American College of Financial Services. The CAP® certification focuses on delivering in-depth philanthropic planning knowledge to financial professionals to make them better charitable advisors and help them meet clients’ goals for self, family, and society. Through the CAP® certification, philanthropic advisors will learn about tax strategies and techniques, estate planning, legacy planning, and business exit planning, and more.
To become an educated charitable advisor through the CAP® certification, you must complete the three-course program, including all associated classwork and a final exam for each course. These on-demand online courses make earning this charitable giving certification easy on your busy schedule.
For those seeking more expertise in how to use donor-advised funds in their work with donors and nonprofits, the CAP® designation is an excellent additional step for your further career growth! Learn more at TheAmericanCollege.edu/CAP.
Join the Waitlist Today
As a DAF certificate holder, you’ll be among a unique group of professionals to understand the DAF sector, stakeholder communication, how to maximize philanthropic impact, and the best methods for navigating regulatory changes.
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1 National Philanthropic Trust. The 2024 DAF Report. 2025.