Biggest Donor-Advised Funds Are Slower to Distribute Assets, Study Finds
But of small funds, nearly 80 percent distribute money to charities rapidly enough to deplete the initial contributions to those accounts, according to a new study of a limited number of account sponsors. The data can be helpful to fundraisers as well as policy makers.
By dan.parks
Contributor
Lawmakers Express Concerns Over Efforts to Speed Giving From Donor-Advised Funds
Their letter takes aim at the bipartisan Accelerating Charitable Efforts Act without mentioning it by name, saying it would reduce charitable giving.
By dan.parks
Contributor
Donor-Advised Fund Grant Making Grew Slower in 2021 After Strong Showing Earlier in the Pandemic
At the same time, new data compiled by the Chronicle shows that donor-advised funds are rapidly gaining ground on private foundations — and have already eclipsed them by some measures.
By dan.parks and Michael Theis
$20 Million Contribution Seeks to Spark Donor-Advised Fund Gifts to Groups Led by People of Color
The Kataly Foundation made the grant to a group that will require donors to give at least 10 percent of their assets each year.
By Alex Daniels
Senior Editor, Foundations
Council on Foundations’ DAF Recommendations Deserve a Closer Look
Members of the group that wrote new recommendations on donor-advised funds say recent coverage doesn’t convey the full scope of the proposed strategies.
The organization has long been pushing donors to direct money toward nonprofits they may have never heard of before — small charities working to rebuild communities. Its peers around the country have taken notice.
By dan.parks
Contributor
Legislation Intended to Speed Up Giving Gets a Boost in Congress
Republicans and Democrats in the House introduced a measure that would affect donor-advised funds and foundations. It resembles a proposal in the Senate.
By dan.parks
Contributor
Community Funds Urged to Set Annual Distribution Rate
The Council on Foundations, which represents many community funds, said the minimum annual distribution should be the same as for private foundations, at least 5 percent of assets.
By dan.parks
Contributor
The Status Quo Is Not Acceptable When It Comes to Donor-Advised Funds
An expert in nonprofit tax law argues that reforming DAFs is the only way to ensure they serve a genuine charitable purpose.
Let’s Worry Less About How DAFs Help Donors and More About How They Can Help Those in Need
A Council on Foundations member and community fund leader finds fault with a recent opinion piece by the council’s leader who argues that donor-advised funds democratize philanthropy.
Few Donor-Advised Fund Grants Are Anonymous, Controversial Study Says
However, one expert and advocate for new regulations on donor-advised funds said the study has serious methodological flaws that casts doubt on its findings.
By dan.parks
Contributor
Donor-Advised Funds Don’t Pass the Democracy Smell Test
A former director of development says DAFs widen the power imbalance between donors and nonprofits.
Donor-Advised Funds Are Essential to Democratizing Philanthropy
Proponents of federal regulation say the accounts are piggy banks for the wealthy. But they are missing out on how essential DAFs are for encouraging people of more moderate means to give generously.
By Kathleen Enright
Contributor
This day reminds us that donors pay attention to deadlines. Now is the time to impose them on donor-advised funds.
By Ray D. Madoff and John Arnold
Philanthropist Couple Urges Wealthy Donors to Give Now
Jennifer and David Risher started the #HalfMyDAF campaign to encourage people to give more from their donor-advised funds. They also support Worldreader, a nonprofit David co-founded to provide books to young people in underserved places.
By Maria Di Mento
Senior Editor
Education Charities Continue to Receive Largest Share of Donor-Advised Fund Grants
Grants from DAFs accounted for 6.1 percent of all dollars received by charitable organizations in 2018, up from 3.8 percent five years earlier, according to a new report from the Giving USA Foundation.
By Michael Theis
Contributor