Giving USA Comes to Philadelphia

Today marked a first for Philadelphia philanthropists and nonprofits. The 2012 Giving USA Annual Report on Philanthropy, the country's preeminent study on charitable giving in America, was presented at a breakfast this morning.

This is the first time that the study has been formally presented anywhere outside of New York and I'm thrilled that NPT was there not only as a co-host, but the staff also attended as thoughtful audience members. The study shows a modest growth in giving for 2011, which is a positive sign that confidence in our economy and comfort in giving away dollars is rebounding. Moreover, a key statistic [and discussion point from today's Q+A session] was the exponential growth of giving to donor-advised funds.

NPT's annual report on the donor-advised fund market is not scheduled for publications until the fall, but so far our findings are in keeping with Giving USA's: donor-advised funds are becoming a major piece of the giving puzzle and an increasingly popular option for philanthropists during a time of economic uncertainty.