Fresh Cuts

It is high time for the nonprofit wing of the nonprofit sector to speak up to prevent a further diversion of charitable funds to the financial services industry.

The main problem here is the wasted resource of “trapped value,” a valuable public trust sitting dormant. The billions of dollars held in these accounts, for which many received a tax deduction long ago, can be seen simultaneously as proof of these donors’ generosity and charitable ineffectiveness.

Now we appear to be in the middle of a wider cultural—and possibly political—shift in how billionaires are viewed. Cultural shifts lend themselves to precise measurement, but several indicators are visible.

For many years, the centerpiece of philanthropic reform was increasing the "payout" rate from its current 5% of foundation assets. Reform efforts have shifted to more focus on what expenses can be counted as payout, and the stockpiling of philanthropic assets in donor-advised funds. When the former head of the Joyce Foundation and the German Marshall Fund (and one of the savviest guys we know) speaks on this topic, we listen.

Do you want to know how to win more funding from DAFs? Stop treating DAFs (donor-advised funds) like some mystical new revenue stream and start understanding them for what they are: separate financial accounts advised by charitable donors.

The Philanthropy Project has just received the Pablo Eisenberg Memorial Prize from the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (NCRP).

In this Q&A with Proximate Press, Jan Masaoka shares the response the Philanthropy Project has garnered in its first six months. She also offers a frank assessment of how the political moment is impacting nonprofit workers’ willingness to speak publicly on reforming the system upon which their livelihoods depend.

Fifteen years later, philanthropy reform leader Chuck Collins and the Institute for Policy Studies found that only one living Pledger — Laura and John Arnold — has fulfilled the Pledge.

The largest U.S. crowdfunding platform has launched a special approach to sponsoring donor-advised funds (DAFs), incorporating GoFundMe’s signature revenue source: voluntary tips from donors.

Most grantmaker associations have opposed philanthropy reform proposals or stayed conspicuously silent. Philanthropy Northwest stands out.

Hilary Crosby, a CPA, speaks out about why DAF rules annoy her so much and the problems with donor-advised fund (DAF) donations.

The battle over tax provisions in Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” has split conservatives on whether increasing taxes on private foundations is in the public interest.

A relatively unnoticed provision in the House version of Trump's colossal bill is a tax change that is supposed to increase tax revenues by almost $16 billion, in part to offset the big tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans.

With everything going on in the U.S. and the world, is this really a good time to take up the cause of philanthropic reform? Is this the right time to focus on this particular $1.5 trillion?

The walls are caving in on American nonprofits. Alan Cantor explains what needs to happen now to change how DAFs operate.

An interview with Pete Manzo, President and CEO of United Ways of California. We had a chance to learn some surprising facts and strong views from Pete.

For 18 years the go-to general source for DAF data has been The National Philanthropic Trust, a Pennsylvania-based public charity that each year issues an annual publication, most recently called the 2024 DAF Report.

We are, however, against the ways DAFs get used for private benefit, to support illegal activities, or when Wall Street firms manipulate tax deductions and fees through DAFs.

It's common knowledge that private foundations are required to pay out 5% of their assets each year, but what does this actually mean? The Institute for Policy Studies' Dan Petegorsky walks us through calculating foundation payouts.

Hilary Crosby, a CPA, speaks out about why DAF rules annoy her so much and the problems with donor-advised fund (DAF) donations.

An interview with Janet Camarena about the closure of Candid's ten-year initiative to make private foundations more transparent.

Nonprofit voices are crucial to the dialog about philanthropic reform. Victoria Williams – a real-life fundraiser – shares her perspective.

How much does it cost to make a $10,000 grant?It depends. Experimental formula spotlights foundation costs and the funds that remain for grantmaking.