As we head into the second half of 2017, there’s still a story to be written about charitable giving trends. In Inside Philanthropy, David Callahan writes about a number of those trends.¹ In sorting out those issues, here are 7 trends (with one of my own) that I cull out from his list:

1. Record Year of Giving. With the continued rise of the stock market, there’s still a feeling of confidence that will spur strong giving into the end of 2017.
2. Charitable Tax Reform. As we move closer to year-end, President Trump is still looking for wins in public and legislative policy. One of those wins may still come in the form of tax reform, of which some level of charitable reform is likely.
3. Donor Advised Funds Continue to Grow. The ease and simplicity of donor advised funds continues to be an attraction to the giving public. Moreover, a growing awareness of the tool is fueling further growth.
4. Impact Investing Growth. More foundations and givers continue to explore and utilize impact investing. The desire to get the double bottom line is the forefront of giver/investors.
5. Tech Philanthropy. The continued rise of tech stocks and tech giving will continue to be fuel for the charitable giving world.
6. Major Donor Emphasis. For charities, they must emphasize more than ever work with major donors. Business sales continue to be a huge opportunity for charities.
7. A Downturn Ahead. Charitable giving is cyclical. With record highs in the stock market, a leveling is sure to be ahead.

No doubt there are still twists and turns ahead. Tax reform, international instability, and political turmoil represent a short list of possible game changers.

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¹https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/home/2017/1/18/philanthropy-forecast-2017

Bill High

Bill is CEO & Founder of Vyne Legacy. He works with families to equip them with tools to build multigenerational legacies, and he teaches givers and financial advisers on transformational biblical generosity. He is the co-author with David Green of Giving It All Away and Getting It All Back Again: The Way of Living Generously.

Published July 6, 2017

Topics: Nonprofit Development

Donor Advised Funds