We need to support legislation on philanthropy’s crappy, inequitable practices

[Image description: Two kittens in a brown wicker basket. One is white and grey, the other one black and grey. They look cute but not very happy. Maybe because they too are thinking of how ridiculous Donor Advised Funds and other current philanthropic practices are. Image by Amy Baugess of Unsplash]

Hi everyone. This blog post may be a little wonky, but it is important, so thank you for reading it all the way through. Last week, a bunch of us had a Party to Enhance Equity in Philanthropy (PEEP) event, a time for funders and nonprofit folks to get together and just hang out without an agenda. In Seattle, we met for a picnic. This was the first time in over a year that many of us were in the same physical space, and it was wonderful. (And slightly awkward; someone offered me their hand to shake, and I nearly dropped my hibiscus-flavored sparkling water and ran screaming down the park).

While it was nice to see one another, and we should continue this tradition, having a fun event is not sufficient to solve many of the crappy, archaic, frustrating, inequitable practices in philanthropy. For that, we need legislation. Which is why I am happy to see that the Accelerate Charitable Efforts (ACE) act is moving forward. Here is an article on this bipartisan effort. The bill will do a few things, including:

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