January 25, 2024 How a Philanthropic Advisor Helps Hesitant Wealthy Donors Level Up Their Giving January 25, 2024/ Mike Scutari Erinn Andrews works with wealthy, but not super-wealthy clients who want to give more thoughtfully but lack the capacity to do so. Here’s how she gets these lagging but well-intentioned donors to step up their games.Read More
January 17, 2024 Philanthropy Made Easy: the Emergence of Donor-Advised Funds in Asia January 17, 2024/ Natalee Hung, Guest Contributor As they explode in popularity in the U.S., DAFs are also gaining steam on the other side of the Pacific. Guest author Natalee Hung discusses why Asian donors are primed for DAF giving, and how the rules around Asian DAFs differ.Read More
January 10, 2024 To Increase Trust in Philanthropy, We Have to Put a Stop to "Billionaire Shell Games" January 10, 2024/ Dawn Wolfe A report from the Institute for Policy Studies details how tax code loopholes are used to warehouse wealth. IP’s Dawn Wolfe argues that such practices not only keep money from reaching nonprofits, they undermine public trust.Read More
December 21, 2023 Six Problems Philanthropy Barely Tried to Solve in 2023 December 21, 2023/ Philip Rojc To some extent, trying and failing to solve big problems comes with the territory of philanthropy. But sometimes, funders fail even to try, paying scant attention to issues well worth their dollars. Here are examples from this year.Read More
November 15, 2023 The True Cost of Billionaire Philanthropy: How the Taxpayer Subsidizes Stockpiled Wealth November 15, 2023/ Chuck Collins and Helen Flannery, Guest Contributors Drawing on their newly released report, guest authors Chuck Collins and Helen Flannery further their case that top-heavy philanthropy by the ultra-rich comes at a price — for charities and for U.S. society at large.Read More
October 25, 2023 With Congress in Turmoil, Philanthropy Reform Seems Unlikely — Which Is How the Sector Likes It October 25, 2023/ Philip Rojc After a scare this summer, the old bet that a preoccupied Congress won’t take up philanthropy reform still seems to be paying off. But how long can that last? And what does the sector lose by forever forestalling sensible reform?Read More
October 24, 2023 The Inside Track: Using Donor-Advised Funds Creatively to Solve Nonprofit Problems October 24, 2023/ Sam Marks, Guest Contributor With DAFs on the rise, are grantmakers taking advantage of their full potential? Guest contributor Sam Marks discusses how philanthropy can utilize DAFs in more diverse ways to address nonprofits' business needs.Read More
September 08, 2023 Five Reasons Corporate Philanthropy Remains a Mystery September 08, 2023/ Celia Wexler Corporations tend to do a lot of talking about their giving. But when it comes time to drill into the specifics, up-to-date information and real transparency are often nowhere to be found.Read More
July 20, 2023 Foundations Are Giving More and More Money to DAFs. Is That a Problem? July 20, 2023/ Philip Rojc New numbers show the foundation-to-DAF pipeline growing at a rapid rate. That raises a big question: Is the foundation payout requirement now essentially meaningless? It’s a debate that cuts to the core of the sector.Read More
July 06, 2023 “Control, Impact, Ego.” How Wealthy Donors Make the Choice Between Foundation and DAF July 06, 2023/ Mike Scutari Why would a newly wealthy donor set up a private foundation when they could simply pour money into a DAF? Financial consultant Allan Henriques walks us through a surprisingly nuanced thought process.Read More
June 08, 2023 Philanthropy Does a Lot of Navel-Gazing. Is That Accomplishing Anything? June 08, 2023/ Philip Rojc The philanthropy sector is often self-obsessed about the work it’s doing and how it might be perceived, lost in minutiae as the outside public looks on mostly in confusion. Is this doing more harm than good?Read More
May 23, 2023 Major Philanthropy Sector Groups Are Dragging Their Feet or Outright Opposing DAF Reform. Why Is That? May 23, 2023/ Philip Rojc Donor-advised funds undermine philanthropy’s regulatory framework, and Americans are increasingly unhappy about it. We went looking for some clarity on trade groups’ stances around closing this huge loophole.Read More
May 10, 2023 Larry Page's Foundation Doubled in Size to Hit $6.7 Billion in Assets — Nearly All Giving Goes to DAFs May 10, 2023/ Michael Kavate According to the latest available tax filings, Google cofounder Larry Page’s philanthropy reached new heights in 2021, putting it in league with some of the nation’s largest. The foundation’s giving remains almost entirely opaque.Read More
April 03, 2023 “Moving the Needle.” A Look at the Dallas Foundation’s Approach to Place-Based Giving April 03, 2023/ Mike Scutari As the oldest community foundation in Texas, the Dallas Foundation has built out an extensive grantmaking and partnership footprint across the region. President and CEO Matthew Randazzo walks us through its work.Read More
March 23, 2023 DAF Reform Is on Biden’s Wish List. Does It Stand a Chance? March 23, 2023/ Michael Kavate For the second time, changes to donor-advised fund rules made it into the Biden administration’s budget proposal. It’s a reflection of growing frustration and momentum around reform. Read More
March 15, 2023 Roku Founder Anthony Wood Is a Billionaire Donor to Watch. Here's an Overview March 15, 2023/ Philip Rojc Serial entrepreneur Anthony Wood helped usher in the current dominance of streaming TV. Now, he’s also ramping up his philanthropy with a DAF-centric approach and interests across a range of causes.Read More
March 07, 2023 How Can Nonprofits Access the Fortune Sitting in Community Foundation DAF Accounts? March 07, 2023/ Mike Scutari Donors are pouring money into DAFs managed by community foundations at a furious clip. Three community foundation leaders share tips on how nonprofits can put their work in front of philanthropic advisors and donors.Read More
February 09, 2023 Behold the Philanthrosphere: A Wild, Wondrous World February 09, 2023/ Philip Rojc The philanthropic ecosystem is verdant, teeming with life, and often quite treacherous. IP’s Philip Rojc channels his inner Attenborough to document the many inhabitants of this strange and fascinating landscape.Read More
February 02, 2023 Four Things We Actually Like About DAFs February 02, 2023/ Philip Rojc Donor-advised funds are the target of a lot of criticism, including in the pages of Inside Philanthropy — and for good reason. But setting aside their worst flaws, we have to admit that DAFs have a lot to offer. Read More
January 30, 2023 How the DAF Industry Controls the Data and Attempts to Control the Narrative January 30, 2023/ Dan Petegorsky, Guest Contributor Donor-advised fund sponsors like to present an upbeat picture of their field. In this guest piece, Dan Petegorsky makes a case for why that can be misleading — and how the DAF industry tilts the story in its favor.Read More