The Lutheran Community Foundation

Despite the recession, people are giving and giving generously. In this article from the June 2009 issue of the Journal of Financial Planning, financial writer and gift planning specialist Jim Grote explores the types of gifts that are being made in today's environment.

From Planned Giving Design Center:

"During the last economic debacle—with the S&P 500 index down 9 percent in 2000, 12 percent in 2001, and 22 percent in 2002—charitable giving actually increased; only showing an inflation-adjusted decline of –0.5 percent in 2002.

According to Phil Cubeta, CLU, ChFC, CAP, the Sally B. and William B. Wallace Chair of Philanthropy at the American College in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, there is no better time for donors and advisers alike to be thinking about philanthropy. Charitable needs are greater than ever, and many giving strategies remain viable under the current economic conditions."

Full Article: Shark-Fin CLATs vs. the Bears - Charitable Giving in Down Times