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I always enjoy asking clients why they decided to do their charitable giving through DonorsTrust. These are financially savvy folks and they realize that other groups and institutions offer donor-advised funds. So why go with us instead of someone else?

The answer I keep hearing: Principles.

As one long-time client told me, if all donor-advised funds offer essentially the same benefits in terms of ease-of-use, tax savings, and other general features, why wouldn’t he go with the one that matches his conservative principles?

This refrain is one I have heard repeatedly as I’ve visited clients over the past few months. Our clients are comforted to know that if they mention a free-market group, a conservative policy shop, or a libertarian-leaning student organization, then DonorsTrust will know the group, understand the work they do, and, perhaps most importantly, understand why our client would want to support it.

A donor-advised account can be a terrific tool for philanthropy. A DonorsTrust donor-advised account gives you both a tool and a partner.

Peter Lipsett

Author Peter Lipsett

Peter Lipsett is vice president at DonorsTrust. He also leads DonorsTrust’s Novus Society, a network of donors under 40 committed to growing their philanthropic know-how. He has a dual degree in political science and theater from Davidson College and finally got a practical credential with an MBA from George Mason University.

More posts by Peter Lipsett