National Philanthropic Trust Makes 27,760 Donor Grants Totaling $593 Million in 2016

Marking its 20th Anniversary in 2016, National Philanthropic Trust (NPT), the largest national, independent donor-advised fund sponsor, issued a historic 27,760 donor-recommended grants representing $593 million in mission-critical funding.

“The robust stock market and a growing U.S. economy, combined with potential changes associated with a new presidential administration, stimulated the philanthropic climate in 2016,” said Eileen Heisman, president and CEO of National Philanthropic Trust. “We saw jumps in most key metrics at the end of the year, including contributions to donor-advised funds, which will help reshape the charitable giving landscape in the future.”

Heisman continued, “The popularity of DAFs continues to grow because they are the most flexible giving vehicle. NPT was proud to issue grants from $250 to $24 million to charities in every issue area, in every U.S. state and 33 foreign countries. Because of our donors, NPT’s charitable dollars supported a wide range of important issues around the world, such as the Syrian refugee crisis in Europe, wildlife conservation in Colorado, poverty-focused programs in New York and clean water initiatives in South America. NPT’s grants are a microcosm of U.S. giving and 2016 reaffirmed that Americans are the most philanthropic people in the world.”

2016 NPT Year in Review (Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2016)

• $593 million donor-recommended grants to 7,327 charities
• $1.7 billion in charitable contributions, a 72% increase
• 27,760 total grants, a 10% increase
• 5,154 donor-advised fund accounts, a 20.7% increase

“The ultimate beneficiaries of heightened donor-advised fund giving are the 1.5 million charities in the U.S. and more around the world,” said Heisman. “Last year’s grants and contributions hold powerful long and short-term impact for society.”

About National Philanthropic Trust

Founded in 1996, NPT is the largest, national independent Donor-Advised Fund sponsor and has raised $7.6 billion in charitable contributions. NPT currently manages $4.2 billion in charitable assets and has made more than 160,000 grants totaling $3.9 billion to charities around the world. NPT annually publishes the Donor-Advised Fund Report, the industry’s authority on the state of DAF giving. In 2016, NPT launched HistoryofGiving.org, the world’s first, most comprehensive digital narrative of the last 500 years in philanthropy. More at NPTrust.org.

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