Fidelity Charitable Trumpets Donor Advised Funds Model

Tom Burroughes

2 April 2018

Fidelity Charitable, the US public charity and grant-maker, reported that its donor-recommended grants stood at a record $1 billion this year, surging 42 per cent from a year ago.

The grants in 2018 benefited more than 62,000 charities.

After logging a 20 per cent increase in new Giving Accounts in 2017, Fidelity Charitable’s granting is outpacing this growth, the organization, founded in 1991, said. Additionally, grant volumes are also up, with a 25 per cent increase in the total number of grants issued compared to a year ago. Since its founding, the organization has made more than $30 billion in donor-recommended grants.

The figures demonstrate the value of donor advised funds, a channel for philanthropic giving, Fidelity Charitable said.

This news service has written about the arguments around the case for DAFs and alternative structures – see here and here.