Inspire Access and Play Money Launch Partnership to Activate Donor-Advised Funds for Startup Investment
New collaboration enables DAF holders to recycle philanthropic capital into startup growth—while preserving charitable impact
Potomac, MD — February 11, 2026 — Inspire Access and Play Money today announced a new partnership designed to unlock donor-advised fund (DAF) capital as working investment capital for early-stage startups.
Through the partnership, donors can deploy a portion of their DAFs into private startup investments that provide founders with the capital they need to grow. If an investment performs well, returns flow back into the donor’s DAF, —creating additional capital for future charitable giving.
“We are excited about this partnership. It allows you to put your capital to work twice, both supporting underfunded founders, and mobilizing idle philanthropic dollars, which is a double bottom line,” said Patrice King Brickman, Co-founder and CEO of Inspire Access. “Instead of sitting idle, DAF dollars can support innovation, help founders scale, and ultimately increase the resources available for philanthropy.”
DAF assets continue to balloon, reaching $326b in 2024, a 30% YoY increase while the payout rate hovers around a modest 24-25%"¹. Traditionally, most DAF assets remain invested in public markets or cash-equivalent funds. Inspire Access and Play Money aim to offer donors a new option: participating in the private startup ecosystem while maintaining alignment with charitable goals.
“Too much philanthropic capital is parked on the sidelines,” said Cheryl Kellond, CEO of Play Money. “By enabling DAFs to make equity investments in startups, we're helping donors create regenerative impact—supporting founders today while generating upside that fuels future giving.”
The partnership reflects a growing interest among donors in more active, mission-aligned approaches to capital deployment, particularly as founders seek flexible funding sources outside traditional venture capital channels.
About Inspire Access
Inspire Access is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization with a mission to mobilize philanthropic capital towards for-profit ventures in support of underrepresented founders and communities that have historically lacked access to capital.
About Play Money
Play Money is the operating system for early-stage investing, helping individual investors—angels, solo GPs, and small fund LPs—coordinate capital into curated startup deals with low minimums and tools that make building a portfolio possible without making it a full-time job.
Learn More
Donors interested in learning more about how to activate their DAFs through the Inspire Access–Play Money partnership can visit https://ply.mn/daf, learn more by emailing invest@letsplaymoney.com, or register for an upcoming informational session on Thursday, February 12, 2026, at 9 am PT / 12 noon ET https://luma.com/ucvxf4e1.
1 DAF Research Collective, “2025 Annual DAF Report,” 2026 (https://www.dafresearchcollaborative.org/annual-daf-report/2025)
