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Carol Harmon, The Columbus Foundation, charmon@columbusfoundation.org, 614/251-4000


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The Chronicle of Philanthropy: “Letter to the Editor: Spending Deadlines on Donor-Advised Funds Would Be a Mistake”

By Douglas F. Kridler, Kathlyn Mead, Paula Van Ness, and Elizabeth Brazas

As presidents of community foundations in four regions, we appreciate the distinction Roger Colinvaux makes between donor-advised funds sponsored by commercial providers like Fidelity and Schwab and those sponsored by other charitable organizations, such as community foundations ("Congress Needs to Send a Message that Commercial Advised Funds Are About Giving, Not Saving," Opinion, December 29, 2015).

Community foundations have worked closely with Mr. Colinvaux and other critics of donor-advised funds to help them better understand the unique role we play. We have a responsibility to ensure that policy makers fully understand the power and value of such funds in expanding the reach of philanthropy, and how mandating payout within a specified number of years is a flawed strategy to increase charitable giving in America. 

Read the full Letter to the Editor here.

DATE
January 11, 2016