National Philanthropic Trust Donor-Recommended Grants to Charities Surpass $5.15 Billion In 2021

NPT donor-advised fund grant value increased 212% and grant volume increased 53% compared to pre-pandemic giving in 2019

JENKINTOWN, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--National Philanthropic Trust (NPT), the largest national, independent public charity that manages donor-advised funds (DAF), granted $5.15 billion on behalf of its donors in 2021, representing an increase of 15% of dollars granted compared to 2020 and an increase of 212% compared to pre-pandemic giving in 2019.

NPT supported more than 32,000 different charities, the largest number on record, through nearly 96,000 grants last year. These grantees span all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

“While the world continued to evolve, our donors maintained an intense interest in giving. NPT grants tripled in value compared to pre-pandemic philanthropy in 2019 and we supported a record number of grantees,” said Eileen Heisman, CEO of National Philanthropic Trust. “Our grantmaking surged at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020 and exceeded initial historic levels in 2021. NPT donors remained loyal to the organizations they supported in the past while continuing to recommend additional grants to new organizations in response to the pandemic and other equity and social issues.”

Heisman continued, “When I spoke with our donors throughout 2021, and especially during Giving Season, they talked about how passionate they were to support many causes and charities, both new and old. DAF donors are proactive philanthropists who authentically want to use their DAF dollars to make an impact locally, nationally, and internationally.”

NPT 2021 Year in Review

- $5.15 billion in donor-recommended grants, representing an increase of 15% compared to 2020 and a 212% increase from pre-pandemic giving in 2019.
- 95,717 grants to every state and the District of Columbia and international charities, representing an increase of 12% compared to 2020 and a 53% increase from pre-pandemic giving in 2019. All eight charitable subsectors saw an increase in volume of grants.
- 32,529 charities received donor-recommended grants, representing an increase of 13% compared to 2020 and a 38% increase from pre-pandemic giving in 2019.

“DAF donor support has been critical to fulfilling our mission, both in terms of meeting immediate needs and expanding our capacity in the future,” said Annalyse Kehs, project director of PlantVillage, a global nonprofit and research lab based at Pennsylvania State University. “NPT donors’ clear, unrestricted and intentional commitment in 2021 means a great deal to the communities we serve and our staff.”

Highlights of the nearly 96,000 donor-recommended grants in 2021 include gifts to honor the sacrifices of firefighters who laid down their lives to save others on September 11, 2001, help families impacted by the tornado devastation in Kentucky, combat institutional racism at the local community level, engage people and communities with wildlife and nature, provide air transportation to children in need of specialized medical care, and support Olympic Team USA athletes.

About National Philanthropic Trust
Founded in 1996, National Philanthropic Trust (NPT) marked its 25^th Anniversary in 2021 as the largest national, independent public charity that manages donor-advised funds and one of the leading grantmaking institutions in the U.S. Since its founding, NPT has raised more than $38.9 billion in charitable funding and has made more than 492,000 grants exceeding $17.5 billion to nonprofits around the world. NPT annually publishes the Donor-Advised Fund Report, the sector’s authority on the state of DAF philanthropy. Visit NPT’s resource library to learn what you can do with a DAF and about NPT’s impact investing solutions. More at NPTrust.org and NPTGivingPoint.org.