Charities With an Expiration Date Hurry to Make a Lasting Mark

Imagine charities created with their own self-destruct mechanisms built in.

Realizing Rights and Water Advocates will both blink out of existence this month, as planned. Both groups were designed to change the way global problems are perceived and solved, without adding permanently to the nonprofit world’s burden of too many charities.

While a small but growing number of foundations have made clear their intentions to spend all their assets and shut down, charities that set their own expiration date are relatively rare. But more charities may want to consider the approach.