Articles Tagged with Foundations

Foundation Renovation: Donor-Advised Funds

Published on: May 5, 2014 | By McCulloch & Miller, PLLC

[Donor-advised funds] promise a number of advantages over foundations, such as lower annual costs, more privacy and no required minimum payout each year. A big difference between the two is control.

Running a charitable foundation can be richly rewarding, yet exhausting. Now there is a popular alternative to a full foundation and a move to collapse back into what is known as a donor-advised fund.

If you or your family run a charitable foundation and are considering this alternative, The Wall Street Journal had a few points to consider in a recent article titled “Risks to Consider With Donor-Advised Funds.”

Houstonians May Note Increase in Charity Spend-Downs

Published on: April 24, 2014 | By McCulloch & Miller, PLLC

About 50 years ago, only 5% of the total assets of America's largest 50 foundations were held by spend-downs. In 2010, that number had risen to 24%, according to Bridgespan Group in Boston.

Today's charitable foundations seem to be shifting from maintenance for longevity to spending down and winding up.

This trend was identified in a recent article in The Wall Street Journal titled “The Rise of Spend-Down Philanthropy.” The hard numbers in the article come from an analysis by the Bridgespan Group which found a marked jump in spend-downs. As reported there, “About 50 years ago, only 5% of the total assets of America's largest 50 foundations were held by spend-downs. In 2010, that number had risen to 24%, according to Bridgespan Group in Boston.”