Kansas Enacts Law Protecting Donor Intent

TOPEKA, Kan. – APRIL 19, 2023 – Today, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly signed into law the “Donor Intent Protection Act,” which was passed earlier this month with overwhelmingly bipartisan support in a 110-12 vote in the Kansas State House and 37-3 vote in the Kansas State Senate. Philanthropy Roundtable testified in favor of this legislation at the committee hearing on March 10, 2023, and applauds the enactment of this important bill.

The Donor Intent Protection Act encourages charitable giving by ensuring donors have a clear legal option to enforce written agreements between donors and charities about how donations to endowments are used.

“In addition to providing recourse to donors whose intentions have been violated, this legislation also benefits the more than 18,000 nonprofit organizations that serve Kansas communities by maintaining the trust of those who make charitable gifts,” said Philanthropy Roundtable’s Adam Meyerson Distinguished Fellow in Philanthropic Excellence and author of Protecting Your Legacy Joanne Florino. “We hope that other states will recognize that violations of donor intent have a chilling effect on the generosity that undergirds a diverse and thriving civil society.”

Philanthropy Roundtable Vice President of Policy and Government Affairs Elizabeth McGuigan noted that the new law is a strong statement that charitable givers are welcome in Kansas.

“The Donor Intent Protection Act gives Kansas donors the confidence to know their intent will be respected and upheld by the endowments they support,” said McGuigan. “The charities that are hard at work in our communities rely on donors for their support, so more confidence means more giving and more resources for those in need.”

For more from Philanthropy Roundtable on the importance of donor intent and how protecting it bolsters the charitable giving that supports the most vulnerable in our communities, please read Protecting Donor Intent Protects Giving.