Honoring innovation, collaboration, and impact
The DAF Giving Summit Awards highlights visionary leaders driving philanthropy forward.
The purpose
The DAF Giving Summit awards celebrate excellence in philanthropy, recognizing individuals and organizations that drive innovation, impact, and leadership.
Award categories highlight key areas such as collaborative impact, DAF innovation, and groundbreaking initiatives that shape the future of giving.
2026 award categories coming soon
A look back at the winners
2025 Awards
Transformative Gift Award: Severin Hacker Vision Fund and The Neta Foundation
The Transformative Gift Award honors the Severin Hacker Vision Fund and the Neta Foundation for advancing groundbreaking research in vision restoration with potential broader neurological impact. Their collaboration demonstrates how catalytic donor-advised funding can accelerate early-stage science into real-world change.
Pioneering DAF Sponsor: Founders Pledge
The Pioneering DAF Sponsor Award honors Founders Pledge for their innovative rapid-response philanthropy, raising over $9.5 million to support urgent global health programs. Their model mobilized more than 1,300 donors and demonstrates how quickly the DAF ecosystem can drive impact at scale.
Synergy for Change: Jewish Federation Bay Area and Hebrew Free Loan
The Synergy for Change Award honors the Jewish Federation Bay Area and Hebrew Free Loan of San Francisco for partnering to deploy over $8 million in interest-free loans supporting thousands in need. Their collaboration has nearly doubled lending capacity and created a model for communities nationwide.
Wealth Advisor Excellence: Nick Palahnuk
The Wealth Advisor Excellence Award honors Nicholas Palahnuk for guiding clients toward purpose-driven impact and redefining wealth through the idea of “enoughness.” Through his innovative platform PhilanthPro, he has helped direct tens of millions of dollars to donor-advised funds and foundations.
