Foundation Grants
Community Vital Signs
About Us
Donor-advised funds, which allow donors to store money in a private account and have it directed to charities without having to set up a private foundation, are a popular way to donate in the US.
They're also a hot topic in Canada, where they're being criticized for taking advantage of tax breaks and loopholes, and in the US, where they're being called for more transparency and accountability, per a Saturday Seminar article in Nonprofit Policy Reform.
Donor-advised funds were first introduced in the US in the 1930s, but have grown in popularity in recent years, with $230 billion in assets and $52 billion in distributions to charities as of 2022, per the National Philanthropic Trust.
The problem, critics say, is that the funds are stored indefinitely, meaning they're not made available to charities as quickly as they should be.
There are two types of DAFs: one that would require funds to be distributed within 15 years and another that would offer immediate tax benefits for funds distributed within 50 years.
The proposed Accelerating Charitable Efforts (ACE) Act, introduced in 2021, would do two things: It would require funds to be distributed within 15 years and offer immediate tax benefits for funds distributed within 50 years, while also imposing minimum annual distribution requirements similar to
Read the Entire Article
Selected Foundation News
A customized collection of news from foundations from around the Web.
Foundation: Ameriprise Financial
Ameriprise Financial announced nearly $2 million in donations to over 85 nonprofits across the U.S. as part of its first round of 2025 grants, along with $1.58 million in matching gifts from...more
Sustainergy is a worker cooperatives based in Cincinnati, Ohio.The co-op was founded in 2013 by two first generation immigrants.It provides free energy assessments for over 5,000 Cincinnati...more
Foundation: Headwaters Foundation for Justice, MacArthur Foundation, Marguerite Casey Foundation, Marguerite Casey Foundation
This imbalance is all the more jarring given that Native communities are reeling from the Trump administration's draconian spending cuts.Funders with a track record of supporting Native American...more
Sphinx Works to Diversify the World of Classical Music as Funding Contracts.Sphinx has launched six successful classical ensembles, commissioned nearly 100 works by composers of color, and grown an...more
Foundation: Minneapolis Foundation
A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to release $180 million in federal funding for environmental justice projects, including $60 million in the Pacific Northwest.The Environmental...more
Hollins said that this event was in line with one of the department's main missions: to elevate Virginia educators through the Elevate Virginia Educators initiative.The chamber presented 27 awards in...more
California must consider how to increase interest in teaching and lower the cost of and barriers to entering the profession.AB-1128, a bill under consideration in the legislature, proposes a...more
Encore Data Products is set to showcase its latest educational technology at the ISTE 2025 conference.The ISTE conference is known for bringing together educators and tech leaders to discuss the...more
Schools announces new leadership for 2025-26 school year.Dr. Lee Ziegler was announced as the new community superintendent of the North River Learning Community on June 23, 2025.Elaine Harper was...more
New research from MIT Sloan finds generative AI boosts employee creativity.But only for those who actively reflect on and adapt how they use it."To fully unlock their creative potential, employees...more
Social Entrepreneurship
Spotlight
When it Comes to Social Enterprises, Failure is the Best Platform for Innovation
In the world of social enterprises, failure is a cringe-worthy moment nobody wants to talk about. But, social entrepreneurs can benefit from their failures.