Dr. Jonathan Donath on the Joy and Pain of building Daily Giving

From Shtark Tank with Yaakov Wolff by Yaakov Wolff.

• Published: Mon, 30 Jun 2025 04:15:00 GMT
• Duration: 00:49:22
• Audio: https://anchor.fm/s/e45c8048/podcast/play/104798195/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2025-5-29%2F403012140-44100-2-50e21429c25e3.m4a
• Page: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/yaakov-wolff/episodes/Dr--Jonathan-Donath-on-the-Joy-and-Pain-of-building-Daily-Giving-e34smhj
• TorahApp: https://torahapp.org/share/p/3P_shtark_tank/e/e745eaca-c636-49cf-99bd-446d1d028b68

What happens when a full-time chiropractor with a busy practice, a big heart, and zero spare time decides to launch a global tzedakah revolution—one dollar at a time?

This week on Shtark Tank, we sit down with Dr. Jonathan Donath, founder of Daily Giving, a platform that’s quietly transformed the world of tzedakah. What started as a flash of inspiration in a shul lobby has turned into a global force for chesed, distributing over $24 million to 100+ vetted nonprofits (including ADI Negev) and empowering over 21,000 daily givers around the world.

But the road wasn’t smooth. In this raw and inspiring conversation, Dr. Donath shares:

• 🧠 His powerful “epiphany moment” that sparked Daily Giving

• 💵 The emotional struggle of transitioning from volunteer founder to salaried CEO

• 🧘 How self-compassion and meditation saved him from burnout

• 📉 The surprising downside of professional success—and why he gave up Tuesdays

• 📚 The books, seforim, and mentors that changed how he thinks about purpose