The Philanthropy Roundtable and Alliance for Charitable Reform believe that anonymous charitable giving to 501(c)3 organizations has long been central to American philanthropy. There are many reasons why philanthropists wish to keep their names out of the spotlight. They might want to keep their personal security risk low, keep the spotlight on the charity’s work, or even just keep their name from “owning” a cause or an object that truly belongs to the people. Whatever their reasons for doing so, private giving keeps the entrepreneurial spirit alive, and it benefits us all in more ways than we will ever know.
Unfortunately, philanthropic donor privacy has been under threat for the past several years, especially when it comes to donor-advised funds. DAFs are an important philanthropic tool that allow donors to maintain their privacy, but as the giving tool has grown, critics’ calls to strip privacy away from donors has grown as well, especially at the state level and at various agencies in the administration.
Click here to read more about our work in the administration and California to protect donor privacy for DAFs.
However Americans give, to whichever causes they give, ACR advocates for philanthropic freedom on behalf of all who give. Fighting for the overall protection of charitable giving–whether it’s so individuals can give privately or opposing calls for increased payout requirements–is our way of making a statement that charitable giving belongs to civil society.