NEWTON, Mass. — HOW can we increase the flow of money to charitable organizations? With the anemic economic recovery and cuts in government funding, the need for donations is greater than ever, yet funding for charities has remained largely stagnant.

One important source of funds for charitable organizations is private foundations, large ones like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation or small family foundations with assets of $1 million or less. These organizations do not usually engage in charitable work themselves, but rather provide funding to organizations that do — think of the Red Cross, food banks, museums, etc.

There is over $600 billion sitting in private foundations awaiting distribution. However, private foundations have typically limited their annual giving to the minimum amount required by law: 5 percent of their assets. Moreover, since the payment of salaries and other administrative expenses can also count toward the 5 percent requirement, charities often receive far less than the minimum distribution rule would suggest.

Charities have begged and pleaded for increased distributions from these warehouses of wealth, to no avail.