While charities are required by the Philanthropy Protection Act of 1995 to provide a disclosure prior to accepting a donation, very little in the disclosure reveals the charities' policies and best practices. Be prepared to ask the charities several questions about their programs:
o How long has the CGA program been in operation? A newly established program with fewer contracts is subject to longevity risk.
o Does the charity follow the rate guidelines published by the ACGA?
o Does the charity have a comprehensive Investment Policy Statement (IPS) for the annuity pool? As a general rule, a smaller or midsized charity's IPS should reflect a more conservative and more liquid policy than the charity's endowment fund.
o What is the composition and experience of its investment committee?
o What are the demographics of the donors in the CGA reserve? What is the average age of the donors? A younger population adds to the long-term administration cost. Most charities will limit issuing a CGA to donors over age 70. If payments will be deferred, they might issue CGAs to donors as young as age 60.
