Donors have left fortunes to charitable purposes, only to have their money given to causes they would never have supported. All too often, the trustees and staff of grantmaking institutions drift from intended goals, lose accountability, or pay insufficient attention to the principles that governed their founders’ charitable giving. In some cases, assets have been put to uses that would have repelled the original benefactors, turning a generous and well-intentioned gift into a punchline. This guidebook offers detailed guidance to philanthropists who want to ensure that the assets they dedicate to charity are disbursed as they intend. It identifies common pitfalls, explains relevant tradeoffs, and describes successful strategies used by other donors. It lays a broad range of options before you, and suggests ways you can define, secure, and perpetuate your charitable intentions.
View chapters from this guidebook:
- Chapter 1: An Introduction to Donor Intent
- Chapter 2: Choosing a Timeframe for Donating Assets to Charity
- Chapter 3: Defining Your Mission
- Chapter 4: Finding the Right Vehicle(s) for Your Mission
- Chapter 5: Naming Your Board
- Chapter 6: Instituting Board Policies to Reinforce Your Intent
- Chapter 7 and Conclusion: Creating External Safeguards to Protect Your Intent
To find the best articles, books, and discussions on the topic of donor intent, visit our online Donor Intent Resource Library.
