Donor-Advised Funds Surge Past Pre-Recession Highs - Planned Giving - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Donor-Advised Funds Surge Past Pre-Recession Highs - Planned Giving - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: Donor-Advised Funds Surge Past Pre-Recession Highs

By Holly Hall

Donor-advised funds last year grew for the first time since 2007, the best year the funds had before the recession took hold, according to a study released today.

Using data from 652 organizations, the National Philanthropic Trust examined the performance of the funds, which allow people to set up charitable accounts, take an immediate tax deduction, and channel money to whatever charities they want whenever they want.