Fidelity Charitable Tops Gates Foundation in 2018 Grant Making, Data Shows

Fidelity Charitable is the largest grant-making nonprofit in America, exceeding the Gates Foundation for the first time since 2015.

In fiscal year 2018, according to its latest Internal Revenue Service numbers, Fidelity Charitable’s donor-advised funds made a total of $4.8 billion in grants. The Gates Foundation distributed $4.6 billion during its 2018 fiscal year. The Gates numbers were revealed after it filed its 2018 tax documents this past November.

For the Gates Foundation, the $4.6 billion in grants was a 4.4 percent increase over its fiscal 2017 grants, totaling $4.4 billion. Fidelity Charitable’s grants, on the other hand, grew by 27.5 percent in fiscal 2018, rising from 3.8 billion in fiscal 2017.

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Michael Theis writes about data and accountability for the Chronicle, conducting surveys and reporting on fundraising, giving, salaries, taxes, and more. He recently wrote about the sharp increase in donor-advised funds and about a new ratings site that measures charity impact . He also compiled data for our November report on America’s Favorite Charities. Email Michael or follow him on Twitter.

Correction: A graphic with a previous version of this article said that grants from Fidelity Charitable’s donor-advised funds totaled $48 billion in 2018. The correct figure is $4.8 billion; the graphic has been updated.