Warren Buffett amazed the world this summer when he announced his plans to donate his fortune to charity. In the wake of that historic move, Washingtonians have their own positive piece of philanthropic news to consider.

Earlier this year, Chevy Chase Trust commissioned a study by Boston College’s Center on Wealth and Philanthropy to better understand the conditions that will affect giving in the region over the next few decades. The analysis, just completed, finds that the quantity and distribution of wealth in our area offer the prospect of a “Golden Age of Philanthropy” that could extend well into the 21st century.