Donor-Advised Fund Sponsors Dominate Top Ranks of Nonprofits for Attracting Gifts

Giving to donor-advised funds grew by leaps and bounds last year, powering Fidelity Charitable in particular into the stratosphere of charitable giving, a Chronicle analysis shows.

Donor-advised funds held by Fidelity Charitable collected $6.8 billion in new contributions last year. That’s more than the amount of cash and stocks donated by individuals, companies, and foundations to United Way Worldwide, the Salvation Army, and Alsac/St. Jude Children’s Hospital combined. Those are the three biggest organizations on the Chronicle’s new ranking of America’s Favorite Charities.

Contributions to funds at Fidelity Charitable grew 66 percent over the previous year.

It did not appear on our new America’s Favorite Charities list, which focuses on giving directed to groups with specific charitable missions. It excludes contributions to donor-advised accounts because they are giving vehicles, not groups with a cause.

Still, donor-advised funds are driving enormous growth for organizations that sponsor them, including community foundations and the nonprofit offshoots of financial-services companies such as Fidelity.

Other corporate-affiliated funds are also raising significant sums, including Schwab Charitable, which attracted $3.1 billion.