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When Julie Sunwoo, President of DAFgiving360, attended the 2025 Schwab IMPACT Conference in Denver, her message to financial advisors centered on the power of purposeful giving. After 30 years at Schwab, Sunwoo now leads the independent 501(c)(3) public charity with both deep institutional expertise and a personal passion for service. Her mission—to make charitable giving simple, tax-smart, and more impactful than ever—resonates with advisors and investors alike.
“I feel so lucky,” Sunwoo said in our conversation. “I’ve been at Schwab for three decades in a variety of functions, including working directly with RIAs for about 10 years. Service has always been a part of my life, and I knew at some point I’d make the move into the philanthropic space—I just didn’t know when. When this opportunity came up, I was thrilled.”
What Is DAFgiving360?
At its core, DAFgiving360 helps individuals and families support the causes they care about, while helping advisors deepen client engagement through philanthropic strategies.
“DAFgiving360 is an independent charitable organization,” Sunwoo explained. “We work with about 4,700 advisors to help their clients maximize their charitable impact—whether in their local communities or wherever they want to give.”
Through DAFgiving360, clients can contribute just about any asset type—cash, appreciated securities, even complex non-cash assets like real estate or private business interests. Once contributed, donors receive an immediate tax deduction for the fair market value of their gift. The funds are invested and can grow tax-free, and donors can later grant those funds to qualified charities on their own schedules.
“It’s simple in concept but powerful in effect,” Sunwoo said. “You can contribute, invest, and grant funds all through one platform, on your own timeline.”
Growth Fueled by Purpose
Under Sunwoo’s leadership, DAFgiving360 continues to see remarkable growth. “This last year alone, nearly $9 billion was granted out to nonprofits through our donors—and that’s a 34% increase from the prior year,” she shared. “It shows that donor-advised funds are not just growing—they’re driving measurable philanthropic impact nationwide.”
For context, DAFgiving360’s upward momentum mirrors a broader trend: donor-advised funds (DAFs) have become one of the fastest-growing vehicles for charitable giving in the U.S. Advisors leveraging charitable planning are finding that DAFs deliver both client satisfaction and portfolio management benefits.
“My job,” Sunwoo said, “is to keep that momentum going—to make sure more advisors and investors understand how accessible and flexible DAFs can be.”
The Advisor Advantage: Turning Giving Into Strategy
One of Sunwoo’s strongest messages to advisors is that charitable planning is a differentiator. With the RIA industry expanding rapidly, standing out often requires more than just investment expertise.
“As we can see from this conference, the RIA industry is exploding,” she noted. “It’s really important for firms to differentiate themselves—and one of the best ways is by offering additional services like philanthropic advice. Tools like DAFs allow advisors to help clients align their wealth with their values.”
That alignment builds relationships on purpose, not just performance. Through DAFgiving360, Sunwoo’s team partners with both advisors and clients to make the process seamless—from contribution to grantmaking. In addition, about 80% of DAFgiving360’s assets are currently advised by RIAs, highlighting just how pivotal financial professionals have become to the modern giving experience.
“Advisors play a vital role in this ecosystem,” Sunwoo said. “They’re not just guiding clients through investment decisions—they’re helping them craft legacies.”
The Psychology of Giving: Simplicity Drives Generosity
According to internal research at DAFgiving360, simplicity and structure can dramatically boost generosity. “One of the interesting things we found in a recent survey,” Sunwoo shared, “is that 70% of people who work with a DAF give more because it’s so easy to operate.”
That simplicity—combined with immediate tax benefits, flexible timing, and investment growth potential—makes the donor-advised fund uniquely attractive. “A good DAF platform removes friction from philanthropy,” she said. “It lets donors focus on what matters most: where they want to make a difference.”
Key Giving Trends in 2025
Heading into year-end, DAFgiving360 is forecasting a particularly active giving season. “We’re in our third year of a bull market,” Sunwoo noted. “When people feel more confident about their financial situations, they tend to be more generous. And with a new tax bill coming in 2026, some donors are accelerating contributions this year to maximize deductions under current rules.”
For advisors, these factors make now an ideal time to initiate charitable planning conversations. Adding a philanthropic lens to wealth discussions helps both sides—it deepens trust, can optimize tax outcomes, and often leads to more holistic financial strategies.
Getting Started: Resources for Advisors
For advisors who understand the value of introducing giving—but may not know how to start—Sunwoo recommends a simple first step: ask about values. “Talking about charitable giving is a great way to have a deeper conversation about what’s important to clients,” she said. “Ask about the causes they care about and how they want to make an impact.”
To make that process easier, DAFgiving360 created its Giving Guide, a comprehensive resource that covers the full philanthropic journey. “It’s designed for everyone,” Sunwoo explained, “whether you’re just getting started with charitable giving or you’re a more experienced philanthropist. It helps you navigate the ‘how’ behind giving—the structures, strategies, and questions that lead to meaningful, lasting impact.”
Advisors can also point clients toward tools on the DAFgiving360 website, such as its charitable donation calculator, investment pool options, and year-end giving guidelines—all built to help donors align their financial goals with their generosity.
A New Era for Purpose-Driven Wealth
For both advisors and investors, DAFgiving360 presents an opportunity to merge financial planning with broader values. As Sunwoo’s leadership signals, this isn’t about transactional giving—it’s about building a culture of strategic philanthropy.
“Our mission,” she said proudly, “is to increase charitable giving in the United States—because generosity builds stronger communities. Through partnerships with advisors, we can help make philanthropy an integral part of wealth management.”
With shared goals of growth, impact, and purpose, DAFgiving360 stands at the intersection of finance and giving—empowering advisors to help clients do well and do good.
Learn more about creating impact through donor-advised funds. Visit www.dafgiving360.org.
Related: Donor-Advised Funds: The Modern Advisor’s Bridge Between Purpose and Planning