Community Foundations Study Finds Surge in Donor-Advised-Fund Grant Making

Grants from community-foundation donor-advised funds increased 58 percent in March and April over the same period last year, according to a report from the Community Foundation Public Awareness Initiative.

The group polled 64 community foundations in 25 states, which reported $821.9 million in grants from their donor-advised funds, compared with $519.4 million last year.

The group estimates there are about 800 community foundations in the United States.

Many community foundations surveyed said they are encouraging their donor-advised fund holders to support the pandemic response. The report highlighted the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, which launched a webinar series to educate its donors about nonprofit pandemic-related responses. The group’s donor-advised-fund holders distributed nearly $25 million in March and April, up from about $12 million during the same period last year.