A Principled Partner
For the past 25 years, DonorsTrust has helped conservative, libertarian, and faith-based donors give in a simple, private, and tax-friendly way.
Our mission is to protect donor intent and advance the principles of liberty through principled, private philanthropy.
Coupling the tax advantages, flexibility, and privacy of a donor-advised fund with the expert knowledge and personal attention of DonorsTrust staff lets you grow your giving with confidence.
A Principled Partner
For the past 25 years, DonorsTrust has helped conservative, libertarian, and faith-based donors give in a simple, private, and tax-friendly way.
Our mission is to protect donor intent and advance the principles of liberty through principled, private philanthropy.
Coupling the tax advantages, flexibility, and privacy of a donor-advised fund with the expert knowledge and personal attention of DonorsTrust staff lets you grow your giving with confidence.
What to Expect
A Trusted, Personal Partner
Thoughtful guidance aligned with your values, legacy goals, and charitable vision.
Simple by design
One account. One tax receipt. Clear, efficient giving.
Privacy and Discretion
Your giving remains protected, secure, and, if you wish, anonymous.
A Community of Shared Conviction
Join donors who believe freedom and private initiative drive lasting progress.
Our Guiding Principles
Every DonorsTrust giving fund is stewarded according to a clear set of principles that safeguard donor intent and support a free and flourishing society:
LIMITED GOVERNMENT
Empowering private action over top-down programs that grow the scope and scale of the state.
PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY
Encouraging individuals and institutions to solve challenges from the ground up.
FREE ENTERPRISE
Promoting innovation, opportunity, and prosperity through market-based solutions.
CIVIL SOCIETY AND RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
Strengthening the moral and cultural foundations that sustain freedom.
Trusted By Our Clients
“At its heart is a simple conviction: Your charitable intent matters. Just as private property and free association are essential to liberty, so too is the freedom to direct your philanthropy toward the causes you believe will strengthen America’s promise.”
Kim Dennis, DonorsTrust co-founder and board chair
Our Founding Story
THE CHALLENGE TO DONOR INTENT
Twenty-five years ago, DonorsTrust was founded to solve a growing challenge: preserving charitable intent for donors committed to advancing liberty.
At the time, many traditional community foundations had drifted from their donors’ values, redirecting charitable capital toward causes at odds with the principles of limited government, personal responsibility, and free enterprise. For liberty-minded philanthropists, this meant their legacy could one day work against the very ideals that inspired their generosity.
Recognizing this problem, Kim Dennis began exploring how to create a community foundation that would safeguard donor intent for freedom-focused givers.
BUILDING A FOUNDATION FOR LIBERTY
Kim partnered with her colleague Whitney Ball, a trusted leader in philanthropy, to bring the vision to life. Together, they formed DonorsTrust in 1999—a national foundation built on a clear mission: to offer the practical benefits of donor-advised funds while protecting donor intent and shoring up the principles of liberty for generations to come.
From that modest beginning, DonorsTrust has grown into the nation’s largest donor-advised fund dedicated to advancing a free and prosperous society. Since its founding, it has directed more than $2.5 billion to charities that defend constitutional liberties, strengthen civil society, and promote human flourishing through private initiative rather than government dependence.
25 Years of Impact
2000
DonorsTrust begins its operations and issues its first grants
2008
Cumulative DonorsTrust grants surpass $100 million
2014
DonorsTrust passes 10,000 cumulative grants facilitated to charitable organizations.
2017
DonorsTrust’s cumulative grantmaking passes $1 billion as annual grants exceed $100 million for the first time.
2023
DonorsTrust reaches $2 billion in cumulative grants to charities and grants more than $350 million in 2023 alone.
2000
DonorsTrust begins its operations and issues its first grants
2008
Cumulative DonorsTrust grants surpass $100 million
2014
DonorsTrust passes 10,000 cumulative grants facilitated to charitable organizations.
2017
DonorsTrust’s cumulative grantmaking passes $1 billion as annual grants exceed $100 million for the first time.
2023
DonorsTrust reaches $2 billion in cumulative grants to charities and grants more than $350 million in 2023 alone.
2000
DonorsTrust begins its operations and issues its first grants
2001
DonorsTrust facilitates grantmaking to the American Enterprise Institute to launch its National Research Initiative. Over the next 15 years, continued funding expands AEI’s work with university-based scholars.
2008
Cumulative DonorsTrust grants surpass $100 million
2009
DonorsTrust opens its first Strategic Venture Fund, enabling donors to pool their resources for greater impact.
2011
Following the successful incubation of Talent Market, DonorsTrust launches Project Liberty, an incubator for new programs and organizations. The project would later move under the umbrella of Donors Capital Fund and has since launched more than a dozen charitable groups.
2014
DonorsTrust passes 10,000 cumulative grants facilitated to charitable organizations.
2016
DonorsTrust client Evan Scharf leaves a generous legacy gift to establish the R. Evan Scharf Chair for the Public Understanding of Economics at the Cato Institute.
2017
DonorsTrust’s cumulative grantmaking passes $1 billion as annual grants exceed $100 million for the first time.
2020
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, DonorsTrust launches the Growth & Resilience Project, an initiative that raised and directed $1 million to organizations addressing the public health crisis with free-market ideas.
2023
DonorsTrust reaches $2 billion in cumulative grants to charities and grants more than $350 million in 2023 alone.
2025
DonorsTrust honors the memory of founding president Whitney Ball and commemorates its 25th anniversary as cumulative grants reaches $2.5 billion.
Let’s Start the Conversation
Want to learn more about DonorsTrust’s services? Reach out to receive more information, have your questions answered, or speak with a philanthropic advisor.