Markets fluctuate, but generosity is always a good investment. In times of economic growth, charitable giving becomes not just an act of kindness, but an opportunity to create lasting impact, no matter the economic climate.
That’s why from November 12th to December 17th, 2024—during a year of strong market gains—we launched the #GainsForGood Challenge to see if the Daffy community could collectively set aside $10 million of appreciated stock and crypto. It was an ambitious goal, but in a year of big gains, we knew it was possible.
The campaign centered around the "triple win" of donating appreciated assets: avoiding capital gains taxes, maximizing impact through tax-free growth, and supporting multiple causes. To make giving even more rewarding, we randomly selected 35 members to earn $100 for charity, gave every participant a limited-edition Daffy t-shirt, and awarded one member a grand prize of $5,000 to send to the charities of their choice.
What happened next was nothing short of extraordinary.
Not only did we reach our initial $10 million goal, but we quickly raised our target to $20 million, and then to $30 million—ultimately surpassing even that ambitious milestone by raising a whopping $33 million for charity during the campaign period! The momentum didn't stop there. In November and December alone, Daffy members contributed over $92 million in stock and crypto: $32 million in public stock, $37 million in crypto, and $23 million in private stock.
We are immensely grateful to our members for their overwhelming generosity and commitment to turning their market gains into good. To everyone who donated or shared the campaign, we thank you. You've demonstrated the incredible power of turning market gains into meaningful change 🙏. While the #GainsForGood challenge may be over, the impact of our members' generosity is just beginning. Thousands of amazing organizations will receive continued support from these donations. As Duke Kim, a Daffy member who participated in the #GainsforGood campaign, shared:
"I believe healthcare is a human right, and that care should be available for all Americans when they need it. By donating appreciated assets through Daffy during the #GainsforGood campaign, I can make a greater impact for organizations like Sostento that are working to ensure healthcare access for all.”
— Duke Kim, Daffy member since 2024
Who Won At Giving?
You may remember that throughout the campaign, we used the progress tracker at daffy.org/gainsforgood to show real-time updates on how much the Daffy community was collectively giving. It allowed us to celebrate each milestone together, and now we're excited to share the results from 'Who’s Winning At Giving?' Below, you’ll find which companies, cryptocurrencies, and index funds reigned supreme in generosity, and who ultimately took the crown for the most donated asset.
In the fight for most generous shareholder, Apple investors were far more generous than Google shareholders, donating over $1.5 million in $AAPL shares vs. $524,000 for $GOOGL.
In fact, Apple beat out Nvidia, Tesla, Meta, Alphabet, and Microsoft in the “Trillion Dollar Titan” category.
For crypto, Bitcoin blasted off to the moon, leaving Ethereum in the dust with over $24 million in Bitcoin contributions vs. $525,000 in Ethereum.
After Bitcoin, it was Solana that was the dark horse, passing Ethereum with $1.1 million in contributions.
The battle of the index funds was also not close, with Vanguard Total Market bringing in $1.1 million, about $750,000 more than the $316,000 donated by SPDR S&P 500 shareholders.
And The Winner Is...
For the first time ever, the most contributed stock to Daffy was not from a public company at all. Figma shareholders proved to be the most generous of 2024. What was the top contributed public stock? Robinhood Markets.
Speaking of winners… our grand prize winner 🎉
After an incredible showing of generosity across the Daffy community, a special congratulations goes to our grand prize winner, Joe, who received $5,000 for charity and shared this update with us:
We were thrilled to amplify our fund's impact through the $5,000 grand prize. So far, we’ve used the $5,000 to support several nonprofit ministries focusing on educational opportunity, protection of vulnerable children through foster care and adoption, and finally, a local housing initiative for the homeless through our church."
— Joe B., Daffy member since 2024
Launch Your Own #GainsForGood Campaign!
We learned a lot during the course of this campaign (and not just which shareholders, companies, or cryptocurrencies were the most generous ;D). So, if you’re feeling inspired to run your own stock or crypto campaign for charity, here are 5 key takeaways:
- Educate your audience before the campaign: Start educating your audience as early as possible before your campaign kicks off. Most people simply don't know about the amazing benefits of donating appreciated assets instead of cash. Try creating informative blog posts, emails that break down the benefits of donating appreciated assets, eye-catching explainers, and FAQs. For those who prefer a more interactive approach, webinars or workshops can be a great way to educate and answer questions. When people understand the win-win (tax benefits for them, more money for charities!), they're much more likely to participate. Need some inspiration? Check out some of our favorite explainers:
- Timing is everything: Give your campaign plenty of runway to succeed. Unlike clicking a simple "donate" button, stock and crypto donations might require a few more steps (super easy on Daffy, of course, but still). That's why it's smart to launch these campaigns when giving is already top-of-mind – think tax season or the holiday season (especially around Thanksgiving). As Joe shared:
"It just so happened that at the time the Gains for Good campaign was happening, I had a desire to start a DAF for my family. After researching various DAF providers, I landed on Daffy's model.”
— Joe B., Daffy member since 2024
Keep an eye on market trends too. For example, when Bitcoin hit $100K, we saw a surge in crypto donations. So, if you're planning a stock or crypto campaign, jump into those conversations and offer folks a way to turn their market gains into gains for good.
- Generosity comes in all different sizes: You might think that raising $33M means we only saw massive donations, but that couldn't be further from the truth. The beauty of the Daffy community is that we see generosity of all sizes. The #GainsforGood campaign saw donations ranging from $50 to $1.5M, with a median donation size of $4.5K. Every donation, big or small, matters. When a community rallies together, you’ll be surprised to see how quickly those “small donations” add up.
- Generosity is contagious: When people see others giving back, they're more likely to do the same. That’s why uplifting our community's voice was way more impactful than our own messaging. To unleash that community magic, spotlight inspiring testimonials from your donors and create a space for everyone to connect, share their giving journey, and celebrate those wins together.
- Make it fun! Tax benefits are great, but they're not exactly exciting. That's why injecting fun into our campaign made such a difference! Our real-time progress tracker got everyone excited as they watched the donation total climb, the prizes created friendly competition, and the community celebrations kept energy high throughout. And guess which social posts crushed it? The memes! The ones we had the most fun creating resonated most deeply with our audience. If you're planning your own giving campaign, think creatively about how to make the experience joyful and engaging.
Ready to make a difference?
Join us on daffy.org and easily donate appreciated stock or crypto with just a few clicks. Once you're done, invite your family, friends, or colleagues to do the same.
The success of #GainsForGood reinforces our mission to help people be more generous, more often, and we remain dedicated to providing innovative tools and resources to maximize charitable impact. You don’t have to take our word for it when asked about their experience using Daffy, this is what Daffy member Nathan and grand prize winner Joe had to say:
“I've been nothing but thrilled with the services that Daffy has provided me since I started my DAF journey last year. I truly believe I found the best fund to maximize the amount that I will be able to give long term and I look forward to using Daffy for years to come!”
— Nathan F., Daffy member since 2024
“The experience using Daffy has been fantastic, the app is great and the donation process is seamless! I love that I can easily set up my recurring donations with a few clicks and monitor our account balance.”
— Joe B., Daffy member since 2024
Want to know exactly how much you could save—and give—by donating your appreciated assets? Use our free calculators to explore your potential tax savings and kickstart your own giving campaign:
- For stocks, ETFs, and mutual funds: daffy.org/stock-donations-calculator
- For cryptocurrency: daffy.org/crypto-donation-calculator
