Fidelity Charitable tops 2016 Philanthropy 400 ranking

“More and more donors are finding value in using a donor-advised fund as a dedicated account for charitable giving because it enables them to make a greater impact on the charitable causes they care about. Collectively, Fidelity Charitable donors have committed so much to their charitable goals that we’ve topped The Chronicle of Philanthropy’s list of most successful fundraisers. This means we are achieving our mission of making giving accessible, simple and effective, but more importantly, this is a huge win for philanthropy. These funds are irrevocable commitments to support charities today and well into the future

What I’m most proud of, though, is how active our donors are in their grant-making. This is our most important measure of success and where we’re seeing inspiring impact.

Since Fidelity Charitable opened its doors in 1991, our donors have supported more than 220,000 charities, with over 106,000 in the last year alone, and our donor-recommended grants have continued to grow to well over $3 billion dollars a year. This generosity has made Fidelity Charitable the country’s second-largest grant-maker, behind only the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

It’s so gratifying to see more Americans incorporate giving into their financial plans. It’s even more gratifying to see them using their charitable accounts to make a real difference in the lives of so many. Two-thirds of our donors say they give more than they otherwise would because they have a donor-advised fund. The impact is clear: Our donors are able to give charities a higher level of support today and well into the future.”