Donor-advised funds (DAFs) continue to grow in popularity. Between 2011 and 2019, DAFs increased from nearly five percent of individuals giving to more than 12 percent. In addition, the number of DAF accounts more than tripled in 2020 and continued to increase during the pandemic. Yet, there are still misconceptions about the tax-efficient giving vehicle, and several myths about DAFs persist.

There are still steep mountains to climb to address the world’s most pressing problems. Still, today’s philanthropists are savvier than ever before, thanks to the one-stop giving convenience and simplicity of donor-advised funds (DAFs). The DAF model amplifies the power of individual giving by creating a tool that allows more strategic giving and engagement and empowers donors to be global citizens and make a global impact.

The TrustBridge network recently celebrated the largest quarter of cross-border grants in its history. Our network members continue to address global challenges and serve donors as they seek to fully fund the mission of the charities they love to support. As we celebrate together, we are also preparing for the future. On August 1, the TrustBridge leadership team is expanding with the addition of Jim Rich as Vice President.

More than twelve months into the COVID-19 pandemic, many nonprofit organizations are still struggling to recover. However, DAF donors stepped up, sometimes making large and critical grants to support their favorite charities and others that addressed essential needs in the spring and summer. Gifts through Donor-Advised Funds (DAFs) increased by more than 29 percent in the first half of 2020, in large part due to intensified philanthropic engagement around the pandemic.

An estimated $59 trillion in wealth will be inherited by Generation X (those born between 1965 and 1980) and Millennials (also known as Generation Y, born between 1981 and 1995) from their aging Baby Boomer parents and grandparents by 2061. Experts predict that their unprecedented resources, both earned and inherited, combined with their visible interest in innovative ways to address global challenges will make them the most significant donors in history.

There are myriad reasons to give generously to a good cause. Your donations make it possible for nonprofit organizations to feed the hungry and shelter the homeless. Your financial support delivers medicine to cure the sick and prevents disease. Your contributions educate and train people to lift them out of abject poverty. Your acts of kindness are helping to make the world a better place.

What if there was a way to increase your donation’s impact, a strategy that would yield a more significant benefit for both the charity and you? Well, there is: donating stock. Stock donations to charity provide advantages that make it a tax-smart way to give, yet many people don’t consider it an option for charitable giving.

The numbers are impressive. People donated nearly USD 835 billion in cross-border philanthropy in 2018, USD 658 billion from private sources. Globally, one billion volunteers donated their time and energy to charities. Why do people donate their money and time? Is it because we’re inherently kind? Or, are we fundamentally greedy and only give because we have ulterior motives or expect reciprocity?

Conflicts and wars, natural disasters, and shortages of natural resources have always created worldwide suffering. While exact numbers are unknown, the pandemic has had a significant impact on global poverty, moving an estimated 49 million people into extreme poverty. The situation has put a tremendous strain on nonprofit organizations that provide support for those populations.

The Ministry of Home Affairs released guidance indicating that FCRA-Registered nonprofits have until March 31, 2021 to open the new designated FCRA bank account. Nonprofits do not need to visit the State Bank in Delhi to open this account. TrustBridge will continue grantmaking to Indian charities through existing bank accounts in this transition period.

Over the past few years, many savvy and sophisticated investors have recognized impact investing—investments made to generate positive, measurable social and environmental impact alongside a financial return—as a new opportunity to deploy capital in companies and growing markets with entrepreneurs that can deliver both economic and social returns.

When contemplating making international donations, a prime consideration is what percentage of your contribution will help enable organizations to reach their goals. One of the ways to measure the impact your donation will have is to understand the structure of fees and operational assessments, and how the amount of your gift affects those costs.

People worldwide are faced with massive, urgent issues—food insecurity, displacement, infectious disease—endangering people, communities and entire countries. Overcoming these situations requires the generosity of humans. And humans are eager to rise to the challenge. Suffering triggers generosity in humans. Not only does it make people feel good to be altruistic, but scientific research has also found that humans are hardwired for charity.

Kansas City MO, Clearwater FL, Thun Switzerland – Today, Impact Foundation and TrustBridge Global Foundation announced a global collaboration in the international granting and international impact investment space, forming the single largest faith-based collaboration of its kind.