You may have noticed that donor-advised funds have been featured more prominently over the last few weeks. That’s in part because the Accelerating Charitable Efforts Act was reintroduced in the House of Representatives on February 3, 2022.
Portions of the bill are designed to address concerns that donor-advised funds are not required to make distributions to charities according to any timeframe or monetary level.
Donor-advised funds are excellent charitable planning tools for many situations, including for individuals and families who want to organize a regular stream of giving to community organizations and unlock illiquid assets to do so. The proposed legislation recognizes special categories of donor-advised funds established at community foundations, referred to as Qualified Community Foundation Donor Advised Funds, which are treated favorably for tax deduction purposes.
We’re tracking closely the various conversations surrounding this proposed legislation, including a proposal by some community foundations that calls for a five percent aggregate minimum payout and other measures to address concerns while also maintaining the characteristics of donor-advised funds that motivate more charitable giving overall.
As with any proposed legislation, no one can predict whether or when new laws impacting donor-advised funds will be enacted, and if they are, what parts of the proposed legislation will be included in the version that becomes law. What we can tell you is that we are watching this legislation very carefully, just as we do with any proposed legislation that could significantly impact your charitable giving strategies.
Our team at The Community Foundation has decades of experience working with professional advisors and donors to evaluate whether and how to adjust their charitable giving. We would welcome the opportunity to speak with you!