June 04, 2012 | AUTHOR: Eileen R. Heisman
NPT recently launched our new affiliate: NPT Charitable Asset Trust (NPT CAT). “The CAT” is a public charity in the trust form. It offers tax advantages for donors who gift certain types assets—particularly those in the illiquid form.
May 25, 2012 | AUTHOR: Eileen R. Heisman
As we celebrate Memorial Day and honor our country’s fallen heroes, I wanted to share with you the ways in which National Philanthropic Trust donors have recently helped the men, women and families of the United States military.
April 20, 2012 | AUTHOR: Erin Hower
In the wake of tragedy, it is almost instinctive to search for ways to help. Many times, the best way is to financially support charitable organizations on the ground in the affected areas.
Below, our Assistant Vice President of Grantmaking Services, Andrea Rush, shares what it’s like for nonprofits processing the influx of donations in the aftermath of a disaster.
April 18, 2012 | AUTHOR: Erin Hower
This spring marks the one-year anniversaries of the earthquake and tsunami that devastated many parts of Japan and the deadliest tornadoes in the U.S. in nearly 60 years. A number of challenges still face the local communities in Japan and the Midwestern U.S., and their respective local and national governments, as they continue to rebuild.
In the first part of a two-part interview, our Assistant Vice President of Grantmaking Services, Andrea Rush, explains some of the challenges that face grantmaking organizations in the immediate aftermath of a disaster and how long-term commitments to the affected communities are just as critical.
February 27, 2012 | AUTHOR: Eileen R. Heisman
Today marks the ninth annual International Corporate Philanthropy Day. Started in 2004, the day is an opportunity for corporations to recommit to their philanthropic goals.
February 09, 2012 | AUTHOR: Erin Hower
On February 8, 1867, the first meeting of the nation’s first foundation was called to order. One hundred forty five years later, its legacy remains embedded in American philanthropy.
January 20, 2012 | AUTHOR: Eileen R. Heisman
Bank of America just released its 2011 Study of High-Net Worth Women’s Philanthropy. For years, women have been known as active volunteers. But their charitable giving has long trailed the amount given by men, as women often mirror their spouse’s philanthropy.
December 15, 2011 | AUTHOR: Andrew Hastings
After collecting data over the past year, we are happy to release our 2011 Donor-Advised Fund Report.
One of the highlights in this year’s report includes a marked increase in contributions to donor-advised funds. National charities received nearly $4 billion, which was an increase of 42.3% from the previous year and more than half of contributions to all sponsoring charities.
December 12, 2011 | AUTHOR: Eileen R. Heisman
My last post on donor-advised fund payout rates turned out to be quite timely. During the week of December 5, 2011, the Treasury Department released its long-awaited study on donor-advised funds and supporting organizations.
The Treasury Department’s study used 2006 data, but found that payout rate from donor-advised funds is substantially higher than the 5 percent required of private foundations. According to the Treasury’s study [which, again, uses slightly dated figures] the payout rate for national donor-advised fund programs ranged from 14.2 to 28.7 percent. These findings closely mirror the data in NPT’s annual Donor-Advised Fund Report.
December 06, 2011 | AUTHOR: Eileen R. Heisman
Last month, the New York Times ran an op-ed by academic Ray Madoff on donor-advised funds (DAFs). In her piece, Ms. Madoff painted a picture of DAFs as a kind of “warehouse” for charitable contributions. As the President and CEO of a national DAF program, I find this characterization misleading and a disservice to donors and the charitable sector.
While many DAF programs are not legally required to meet a minimum annual payout, the majority have guidelines to ensure that DAFs actively make grants. In fact, the overall payout rate for DAFs is nearly four times that of private foundations.