New Designation Offers Expertise in Donor-Advised Funds

DAFCP™ Program Helps Advisors & Nonprofit Professionals Differentiate Themselves as Philanthropic Planning Specialists

KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa., July 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The American College of Financial Services announces the launch of the standard of educational excellence in the complexities and opportunities of donor-advised funds, the Donor-Advised Fund Certified Professional™ (DAFCP™) designation program. Once the coursework begins on September 1, professionals across the financial and nonprofit sectors can earn this first-of-its-kind credential after completing a thorough, 30-hour online curriculum.

The DAFCP™ program provides advisors, nonprofit professionals, and philanthropic practitioners with a comprehensive education of donor-advised funds (DAFs) across their full lifecycle, from formation and funding through investment, grantmaking, estate integration, and governance. Unlike existing continuing education options, which typically address donor-advised funds as a single issue, DAFCP™ is designed to cover the full spectrum of DAF expertise for every professional in the DAF ecosystem in one overall program. The curriculum is also built for both sides of the philanthropic relationship: financial advisors learn how to confidently bring DAF strategies to clients and professionals at DAF sponsor organizations master how to develop and administer them, while nonprofit gift officers and philanthropic practitioners such as community foundation executives learn how to receive, steward, and grow those funds.

Donor-advised funds are not a passing fad. There are now $328 billion in DAF assets under management, and these vehicles experienced asset growth of 19% in a single year.ⁱ

"Donor-advised funds involve highly complex planning considerations, and financial advisors need specialized knowledge to serve clients, especially high-net-worth individuals, who expect proficiency in this area," said Paul M. Caspersen, MS, CFP^®, CAP^®, AEP^®, program director of the Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy^® (CAP^®) and DAFCP™ at The American College of Financial Services. "The DAFCP™ program closes a critical knowledge gap and gives advisors the expertise to optimize giving at scale. For professionals at DAF-sponsoring organizations, the designation offers technical grounding and a mark of ongoing professionalism. The DAFCP™ will also support the development of staff at traditional charities, who are increasingly helping donors carry out their philanthropic goals through grants routed from DAFs."

DAFCP™ learners can complete the online coursework on their own timetables in as few as eight weeks or as many as 20 weeks, and no prerequisites are required. The College developed the curriculum with input from more than 20 experts who have spent their careers specializing in charitable planning, nonprofit fundraising, complex gifts, philanthropic advising, and community foundations.

The DAFCP™ program encompasses six modules that are designed to help participants apply legal and ethical standards to DAF management, navigate DAF policy changes, and align DAFs with donor motivations and asset suitability. The six modules include:

• DAF Fundamentals: DAF terminology, structure, history, legal guardrails, and donor motivations
• Tax Fundamentals: Charitable deductions, bunching, valuation of complex assets, IRS forms, and the One Big Beautiful Bill Act
• Gift Acceptance: Asset types and valuation, and the use of complex gifts in real estate, business, and alternative investments
• Investing & Grantmaking: Grantmaking rules, IRS Notice 2017-73, international grants, and investment strategies
• Estate & Planned Giving: DAF succession and pairing DAFs with trusts, foundations, and multigenerational planning
• Ethics, Compliance & Technology: Ethics of DAF management and focus on the regulatory landscape and useful technology resources

"For nearly 100 years, The American College of Financial Services has been the gold standard in providing comprehensive education and specialized knowledge that can differentiate financial and nonprofit professionals," said George Nichols III, president and CEO of The American College of Financial Services. "The DAFCP™ will help advisors stand out as specialists in a fast-growing area of financial services, so they can strengthen client relationships and market-proof their practices. It will also help nonprofit and DAF organization professionals demonstrate their expertise and apply best practices, no matter where they fit in the philanthropic ecosystem."

More information about the DAFCP™, and enrollment, is available at
https://www.theamericancollege.edu/learn/professional-designations-certifications/dafcp.

For more information, contact:
Sarah Tremallo
908-967-0381
[email protected] 

Jared Trexler
610-526-1268
[email protected] 

About The American College of Financial Services

The American College of Financial Services is the nation's largest nonprofit and accredited educational institution devoted to financial services professionals. Nearly one in five advisors or agents is an alum of The College. The College offers a learning platform that includes professional designation, certification, and degree programs and encompasses early-career foundational knowledge as well as deep, specialized education in tax, retirement income, philanthropy, risk management, and more with the highest-quality combination of rigor and relevance. The College's faculty represents the foremost thought leaders in the financial services industry. Its educational programs, research, and events offer professionals the opportunity to expand earnings, deepen relationships, and deliver improved client outcomes.

Visit TheAmericanCollege.edu to discover all the ways to gain expertise for every stage.
 

ⁱ DAF Research Collaborative. The Annual DAF Report. 2025
https://www.dafresearchcollaborative.org/research/annual-daf-report 

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SOURCE The American College of Financial Services