Our funding trends reports provide the latest data available on every aspect of
U.S. foundation philanthropy. Our team of research experts analyzes and interprets the data on foundations that we collect — providing a national data source unique for its scope, depth, and historical value.
Reports available for download are provided in PDF format, which requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Recent Reports
Where Do We Go From Here? Philanthropic Support for Black Men and Boys
October 2012
Nearly every major indicator of economic, social, and physical well-being shows that black men and boys in the U.S. do not have access to the structural supports and opportunities needed to thrive. Where Do We Go From Here? Philanthropic Support for Black Men and Boys documents the wide variety of philanthropic activity directed toward black males. The research reveals that annual funding designated for this group has been rising steadily, from $10 million in 2003 to $29 million in 2010 and that education is a top funding priority.
- Read the press release
- Download the report Free
Foundation Funding for Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene
March 2012
Foundation Funding for Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene finds that between 2003 and 2010 the number of active WASH funders tripled, and the number of organizations receiving their grants — totaling $144 million in 2009-2010 — increased five-fold. While WASH funding as a proportion of international grantmaking overall has grown from 0.2 percent in 2003, it remains very small (1.7 percent in 2010). This research brief looks at the role of foundation funding in addressing a global crisis, complementing the Foundation Center's WASHfunders.org custom web portal.
- Read the press release
- Download the report Free
Foundation Funding for Hispanics/Latinos
December 2011
Foundation Funding for Hispanics/Latinos in the United States and for Latin America finds that over the past decade foundation giving explicitly designated to benefit Hispanics and Latinos has remained virtually unchanged, even as the Hispanic population in the U.S. has grown significantly over the same period. The first study of its kind, the report examines foundation giving in the United States by funder type, issue area, geographic area, and type of support, and in Latin America by issue area.
- Read the press release
- Download the report Free in English | en español
- Read an important clarification about the findings
February 2012
Diminishing Dollars for Social Justice Philanthropy
November 2011
Diminishing Dollars: The Impact of the 2008 Financial Crisis on the Field of Social Justice Philanthropy finds that a small but important subset of grantmakers — those who work on issues ranging from human rights to environmental justice — has been disproportionately impacted by the global financial crisis and their recovery remains in jeopardy. The report examines historical trends, describes strategies used by foundations to cope with depleted assets, and presents projections through 2015.
- Read the press release
- Download the report Free
Arts Funding Snapshot: GIA’s Annual Research on Support for Arts and Culture
October 2011
Foundation funding for arts and culture declined faster than overall foundation giving in 2009, according to a special report prepared by the Foundation Center for Grantmakers in the Arts. Foundation Grants to Arts and Culture: A One-year Snapshot identifies top funders and includes analyses by subject, types of support, and grant size.
- Download the report Free
Key Facts on Mission Investing
October 2011
More foundations are using their investment assets to achieve their missions, according to Key Facts on Mission Investing, which finds that one-in-seven surveyed foundations are employing market-rate mission-related investments and/or below-market-rate program-related investments to achieve a social benefit. More than half of those making mission-related investments began doing so within the past five years.
- Read the press release
- Download the report Free
Foundation Leaders Address the State Budget Crises
September 2011
Nearly ninety percent of America's largest foundations report that at least some of the nonprofit organizations they support have been severely affected by state budget cuts. One-quarter report having grantees that have been forced to suspend operations. Foundation Leaders Address the State Budget Crises is the latest report in a series based on surveys of our Grantmaker Leadership Panel and also includes an essay, "How Grantmakers Can Respond to the State Budget Crises," by Doug Bauer, executive director of New York's Clark Foundation.
- Read the press release
- Download the report Free
Moving Education Reform Forward: Grantmakers Reflect
on a Convening with State and Local Government
Education Leaders
June 2011
This issue brief provides critical insights into how education grantmakers (and foundations in general) may be able to work more effectively with state and local education leaders. Based on interviews with participants at a national gathering convened by the Council of Chief State School Officers in January 2011, it offers a nuanced assessment of this type of convening, including the challenges that face grantmakers and education leaders in their work to coordinate future efforts effectively.
- Download the report Free
Untapped Potential: European Foundation Funding
for Women and Girls
May 2011
This landmark study, Untapped Potential: European Foundation Funding for Women and Girls, is the first to examine the scope and distribution of European-based funding for women and girls and to note the gap that exists between European foundations' stated interests and their actual engagement. It finds that 37 percent of surveyed European foundations actively supported programs that benefit women and girls in 2009, but that 90 percent of the same foundations express an interest in issues related to this population group.
- Read the press release
- Download the highlights Free
- Download the full report Free
Foundation Funding for Native American Issues
and Peoples
May 2011
Over the past decade, U.S. foundation support benefiting Native Americans declined from 0.5 percent to 0.3 percent of total foundation giving. According to Foundation Funding for Native American Issues and Peoples, total grant dollars targeting Native Americans dropped 30.8 percent in the latest year, compared to a 14.1 percent overall downturn in foundation giving. This report was prepared by the Foundation Center with Native Americans in Philanthropy.
- Read the press release
- Download the report Free
2010 Grantmaker Salary and Benefits Report: Key Findings
April 2011
The Council on Foundation's annual salary report provides the most comprehensive information available on the composition and compensation of U.S. private and public foundations and corporate giving programs. This report was prepared in cooperation with the Foundation Center, which conducted the analysis.
- Download the report Free
Online Grant Applications and Reporting: Practical Wisdom and Recommendations for Grantmakers, In the Words of a Grantseeker
April 2011
This report provides insights into a grantseeker's perspective on current online application and reporting requirements and mechanisms, highlighting the technical and structural challenges encountered by fundraising staff. It analyzes the formats and accessibility of application forms, quantity and quality of instructional information and grantseeker assistance, and variations and inconsistencies in procedures, questions, and requirements among sixty-six of the Foundation Center's funders. The report offers recommendations for best practices in online system design that would help streamline application and reporting processes, including the adoption of common standards.
- Download the report Free
Key Facts on Social Justice Grantmaking
April 2011
According to Key Facts on Social Justice Grantmaking (2011 Edition), social justice giving accounted for more than 14 percent of grant dollars awarded by the largest U.S. foundations in 2009. The top 25 social justice funders gave 70 percent of the total in the latest Foundation Center's annual grants sample.
- Download the report Free
Foundation Management Series
Governance and Administrative Expenses: Key Findings
December 2010
The Council on Foundation's biennial management series enables grantmakers
to benchmark their board composition and compensation, administrative and investment expenses, and fiscal oversight practices against similar funders. These reports were prepared in cooperation with the Foundation Center, which conducted
the analyses.
- Download the report Free
Key Facts on Foundations’ Public Policy-related Activities
December 2010
The Foundation Center’s first report benchmarking the level of engagement of U.S. foundations in policy-related activities reflects an increase in grantmaker support for research, public education, and resources to policymakers in recent years. Key Facts on Foundations’ Public Policy-related Activities finds that one-quarter of the more than 1,300 foundations that responded to a survey either fund or are engaged in such activities, with larger foundations far more likely to participate than smaller ones. In fact, more than half of those who engage in public policy-related activities increased their levels of support over the last five years.
- Download the report Free
Foundation Leaders Divided on Legislation, Survey Finds
October 2010
Our second in a series of Foundation Center reports based on a survey of our Grantmaker Leadership Panel documents the opinions of this group about recent legislative efforts in California and Florida regarding the public disclosure of private foundation practices related to diversity. On balance, these individuals tend to have unfavorable opinions of both initiatives, and because the initiatives sought opposite goals, those who supported one of the laws tended to disapprove of the other. The report also gauges the surveyed leaders' opinions on three recent or current field-building initiatives and two published reports on philanthropic practice.
- Read the press release
- Download the report Free
Are Foundation Leaders Using Social Media?
September 2010
Our recent survey finds that about one-third of foundation CEOs regularly use Facebook or read blogs, and only six percent use Twitter. Are Foundation Leaders Using Social Media? documents the usage of social media tools by foundation executives based on survey responses from 73 members of the Center's Grantmaker Leadership Panel.
- Read the press release
- Download the report Free
Doing Good with Foundation Assets:
An Updated Look at Program-related Investments
Revised June 2010
For four decades U.S. foundations have had the ability to make below-market-rate investments in activities consistent with their missions and count these investments as part of their annual charitable distributions. Of the nation's more than 75,000 grantmaking foundations, the Foundation Center has tracked 173 private and community foundations that made program-related investments (PRIs) totaling $742 million in 2006 or 2007. While the development of low-cost housing, community development, and microfinance have historically attracted PRIs, there is growing use of PRIs in areas such as education, arts and culture, social and health programs, and environmental sustainability.
- Download the report Free
- Order The PRI Directory
Race to the Top: What Grantmakers Can Learn from the First Round
June 2010
This issue brief documents the experiences of grantmakers, government leaders, and education consultants in states that applied for the U.S. Department of Education’s 2010 "Race to the Top" competition. It offers critical lessons on grantmaker and government collaborations for education reform and beyond.
- Read the press release
- Download the report Free
Diversity Metrics Forum: Developing Standards for the Collection of Data on Diversity in Philanthropy
April 2010
In recent years, private foundation leaders have found themselves in the national spotlight due to growing public concern about the lack of available data on the diversity of foundation staff and boards, as well as grantee organizations and the communities they serve with the support of philanthropic dollars. This report summarizes the discussions that took place at the Diversity Metrics Forum, which brought together 47 foundation leaders, researchers, and representatives of philanthropic infrastructure organizations to discuss strategies for systematically collecting data on diversity in philanthropy.
- Download the report Free
Earthquake in Haiti: Leading U.S. Foundations
Respond to the Crisis
January 2010
In the immediate aftermath of the January 12, 2010, earthquake in Haiti, the Foundation Center surveyed members of its Grantmaker Leadership Panel to gauge the reaction of top U.S. funders to the unfolding crisis. Findings suggest that a number of leading funders are considering a direct response to the crisis, with a primary focus on providing emergency assistance.
- Download the advisory
- Visit Focus on Haiti:
Earthquake Relief and Recovery
Foundation Funding for Climate Change Reached Nearly $900 Million in 2008, Foundation Center Research Shows
December 2009
As the 2009 Climate Conference in Copenhagen opens, the Foundation Center has prepared a new research advisory that examines foundation support for climate change. Climate Change: The U.S. Foundation Response finds that foundation funding to address issues related to global warming has grown rapidly, climbing from less than $100 million in 2000 to nearly $900 million in 2008.
- Download the advisory
Benchmarking Diversity: A First Look at New York City Foundations and Nonprofits
October 2009
New York City foundations and nonprofit organizations have racially diverse staffs, according to a new report by Philanthropy New York and the Foundation Center, but this diversity decreases at higher levels of seniority. A substantial number of foundations and nonprofits are tracking information about the racial and ethnic makeup of the grantees and populations that they respectively serve. The study is the first of its kind in New York City and the nation to examine "both sides" of the equation — with survey data from 95 grantmaking foundations and 540 nonprofit organizations in the
five boroughs.
- Read the press release
- Download the report Free
Giving in the Aftermath of the 2005 Gulf Coast Hurricanes: Profile of the Ongoing Foundation and Corporate Response (2007-2009)
August 2009
Private and community foundations awarded an additional $125 million in grant support for recovery and rebuilding efforts from January 2007 to mid-2009. The report reveals shifts in the giving priorities of 112 independent, corporate, and community foundations that provided new or ongoing support in the January 2007 to mid-2009 period. Economic and community development captured the largest share of support dollars (24 percent), whereas in the immediate aftermath the largest share was committed to human services relief.
- Read the press release
- Download the report Free
- Visit the "Focus on Gulf Coast Hurricane Relief" portal
Building Diversity: A Survey of California Foundation Demographics, Policies and Practices
August 2009
A new Foundation Center report shows that people of color make up more than 40 percent of the staff of independent California foundations surveyed, and most (57 percent) are tracking the demographic composition of the populations served by their grantmaking. Nearly one quarter of chief executives hired since 2001 have been people of color. This is the second study commissioned by Northern California Grantmakers, Southern California Grantmakers, and San Diego Grantmakers to provide an overview of diversity in philanthropy in the state. The first, Embracing Diversity: Foundation Giving Benefiting California's Communities of Color, was released in June 2008.
- Download the report (PDF) Free
- Download the survey
Accelerating Change for Women and Girls: The Role of Women's Funds
June 2009
The first of its kind, this report by the Foundation Center and the Women's Funding Network examines giving patterns and trends among larger private and community foundations and the distinctive contributions of women's funds to philanthropy. Accelerating Change for Women and Girls: The Role of Women's Funds finds that foundation giving targeted to benefit women and girls climbed 223 percent between 1990 and 2006 (after adjusting for inflation), compared to an overall giving increase of 177 percent.
- Read the press release
- Download the Highlights (PDF)
- Order the report
Perpetuity or Limited Lifespan: How Do Family Foundations Decide?
April 2009
The first large-scale examination of foundation lifespan planning, this study benchmarks the intentions, practices and attitudes of nearly 1,100 active family foundations in 2008. Perpetuity or Limited Lifespan: How Do Family Foundations Decide? reports that while existing in perpetuity continues to be the norm for the majority of existing family foundations, a small segment (12 percent) plan to limit their lifespan or are in the process of spending down, and a quarter are currently undecided. The study also examines the impact of foundation characteristics — e.g., size, age, staffing, and location — on lifespan planning options.
- Read the press release
- Download the Highlights (PDF)
- Download the report (PDF) Free
- Download the surveys
Embracing Diversity: Foundation Giving Benefiting California’s Communities of Color
June 2008
A new analysis of grantmaking by 50 of the state’s largest independent foundations finds that at least 39 percent of California-focused grants benefited populations of color. According to Embracing Diversity: Foundation Giving Benefiting California's Communities of Color, in 2005 alone, these 50 California-based foundations awarded a minimum of 2,700 grants totaling nearly $300 million to support health, education, social services, and other programs that serve ethnically or racially diverse populations.
- Download the report (PDF) Free
Proceedings From the First Annual Researcher/Practitioner Forum: The State of Research on Diversity in Philanthropy
May 2008
This report summarizes the discussions that took place at the first annual Researcher/Practitioner Forum which was held on September 27 and 28, 2007 at El Pomar Foundation’s Penrose House conference facilities in Colorado Springs, CO. The Forum was co-sponsored by the Council on Foundations, ARNOVA and the Foundation Center and was made possible by a grant from the Lumina Foundation. The first annual Researcher/Practitioner Forum brought together 25 researchers and foundation representatives to discuss the state of research on diversity in philanthropy.
- Download the report (PDF) Free
|
