The US Charitable Gift Trust

Analysis

The US Charitable Gift Trust is a registered charity in United States, based in Boston, MA. It received its IRS tax-exemption ruling in September 1999, 27 years ago. Its declared purposes cover philanthropy, voluntarism and grantmaking foundations, which this site groups under grant-making and general purposes. The IRS classifies it as a publicly supported organisation (donations from the general public) under section 501(c)(3), and contributions to it are listed as tax-deductible.

In the financial year ending December 2023, The US Charitable Gift Trust reported income of $311.9m and spending of $213.3m, leaving 32% of income unspent that year. Across the 5 years on record, from December 2019 to December 2023, income grew from $218.9m to $311.9m (+42%), an average of +9.3% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to December 2021, when income rose by 74%. Over the whole period it spent 64% of the income it received.

Among 19,413 United States charities whose main cause is grant-making and general purposes and that reported income, The US Charitable Gift Trust sits at the 100th percentile: it is one of the largest 1% in its cause. Against every charity in United States with reported income it ranks in the 100th percentile, and in the 100th percentile within MA. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include P E F Israel Endowment Funds Inc ($289.5m), Suzanne and Walter Scott Foundation ($327.9m) and RF Catalytic Capital Inc ($289.0m).

On its Form 990 for the period ending December 2023, revenue came from contributions and grants 88% of the total. Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees was $240k (0.1% of expenses). It paid $6.4m in professional fundraising fees. At year end it held assets of $1.74bn against liabilities of $463.5m, net assets of $1.27bn.