Giving Compass' Take:

• This Penta/Barron's post discusses a Bridgespan Group report that shows philanthropy falling short of stated goals across the U.S., and what it may take to do better.

• One solution detailed here is aggregated funds (or donor collaboratives), which can help scale philanthropic capital. What are the upsides and downsides to this approach?

• Here's a look ahead at what 2019 will bring in philanthropy.

Hundreds of billionaire philanthropists who have signed the Giving Pledge — following in the footsteps of Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett by pledging to give away more than half their wealth — have gone far in supporting worthy organizations and raising the profile of important philanthropic causes.

Yet a report from The Bridgespan Group, a U.S. research and advisory firm for nonprofits and donors, finds the generosity of ultra-wealthy individuals and families falls short of what they could be giving. The philanthropies hurt most by this shortfall are on-the-ground “social change” nonprofits working to improve society, health care, and the environment.

In doing the research, “what was staggering was, first, to understand that people do in many instances want to put more money to work, and second, to appreciate that it’s in fact hard to do really well,” says Tom Tierney, Bridgespan’s co-founder and the former chief executive of Bain & Company, the private equity firm.

Third, Tierney adds, “is the consequence of it being hard is that they actually aren't putting money to work.”

Read the full article about unleashing $45 billion for the nonprofit sector by Abby Schultz at barrons.com.