In this episode of The Beacon Podcast, Dr. Dan Heist, assistant professor at Brigham Young University and co-founder of the Donor Advised Fund Research Collaborative, shares research-driven insight into how donors actually use donor-advised funds. Drawing on original data, he explains the trade-offs between DAFs and private foundations, addressing questions of donor control, administrative efficiency, transparency and payout behavior. The conversation moves beyond headlines to clarify why DAFs continue to grow and how donor intent operates within these vehicles.

Hosted by Dr. Stuart Gulley, the episode offers practical guidance for nonprofit leaders seeking to better understand and steward DAF dollars. Dan introduces three distinct donor patterns – tubs, tanks and towers – and explains how each behaves differently in terms of timing, payout and engagement. He outlines concrete strategies for identifying DAF donors, tracking them effectively and tailoring cultivation and solicitation approaches accordingly, while also addressing policy and perception shifts likely to influence DAFs in the years ahead.

About Our Guest

Dr. H. Daniel Heist is an assistant professor of public administration and nonprofit management at the Romney Institute of Public Service and Ethics at Brigham Young University. A leading researcher in philanthropy, his work focuses on charitable giving, donor behavior and volunteering, with particular emphasis on donor-advised funds. He is the co-founder of the Donor Advised Fund Research Collaborative and is widely recognized for bringing rigorous data and ethical perspective to a complex and often misunderstood area of philanthropy.

Dan holds a bachelor’s degree in speech communications from Pennsylvania State University, a master’s degree in philanthropic studies from the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University and a doctorate in social welfare from the University of Pennsylvania. His research and teaching are informed by nine years of professional fundraising experience, allowing him to bridge scholarship and practice. He brings a practitioner’s insight to academic research that directly serves nonprofit leaders and the philanthropic sector.