The National Philanthropic Trust has announced that its donor-advised funds awarded $6.46 billion in fiscal year 2021, a 179 percent increase compared with FY 2020.

In the fiscal year that ended on June 30, 2021, NPT donors in the organization's eight charitable subsectors experienced an increase in grant volume, with societal benefit, education, human services, and arts experiencing triple-digit increases in grant value. Among other things, NPT donors provided support for efforts to combat institutional racism, support for Oxygen Generation Plants to assist those recovering from COVID-19 in India, assistance for veterans with therapeutic companion dogs, funds to help end the climate crisis, and support for athletes on the U.S. Olympic team.

"Early in 2020, the value of NPT grants surged in response to the pandemic’s impact on communities around the country and globally. Our donors' heightened generosity continued through the end of our fiscal year 2021," said NPT chief executive Eileen Heisman. "NPT DAF donors responded to the pandemic by supporting the causes that they granted to historically as well as recommending additional grants to address new pandemic-related challenges we were all facing. In an unprecedented time, our donors continue to be reliable, generous supporters for tens of thousands of charities. Fiscal year 2021 also marked the year more NPT donors embraced 'trust-based philanthropy' — giving many unrestricted grants, meaning gifts that can be used for most any purpose appropriate to the organization. This indicated a 27 percent increase in [the] number of unrestricted grants compared to the previous year. DAFs provide flexibility for donors to give quickly and easily to charities here and around the world."