"This is a time when extreme creativity is needed in philanthropy"

Non-profits are facing increasingly uncertain times as private donations on which they rely almost entirely for funding and gifted artworks are growing smaller by the day. The combined effect of the financial crisis and the shrinking demographic of wealthy donors due to low birthrates in the Depression era was already a major blow to institutions but add to that the anticipated tax reforms (including the "hiatus from the estate tax") and the blow may well be crippling. The New York Times discusses how charities (and donors) are wrestling with tax uncertainty. Highly recommended for donors thinking about estate planning and alternative cost-efficient ways of making much-needed bequests.