Philanthropy Facts & Figures

Philanthropy in the U.S.
According to the report, Giving USA 2009, total giving in the U.S. for 2008 was estimated to be $307.65 billion, which reflects a 2% drop in current dollars over 2007. The source of contributions was broken down as follows:

According to the most recent estimates published by the Foundation Center in their Foundation Growth and Giving Estimates: Current Outlook (2009 Edition), in 2008:

•	75,000+ = Number of foundations operating in the U.S.
•	$533 billion = Total foundation assets
•	$45.6 billion = Total foundation giving

The edition's key findings include:

• Independent and family foundations — which represent close to nine out of 10 foundations — increased their giving 2.5 percent to $33 billion in 2008.
• Corporate foundation giving held steady at $4.4 billion in 2008.
• Community foundation giving rose 6.7 percent to $4.6 billion in 2008, surpassing corporate foundations for the first time.
• Between 2007 and 2008, overall foundation assets were down $149 billion, a decline of 22 percent.

>>More information on national trends in giving are available online in the Research Studies area of the Foundation Center's Web site.

Philanthropy in Pennsylvania
As of 2006, The Foundation Center reports that:

>> For more information on philanthropic trends in Pennsylvania, see our report "Commonwealth Giving: A Report on Pennsylvania Philanthropy", published in March 2008.

Where to Find More Philanthropy Facts & Figures
There are many organizations throughout the U.S. that track data on charitable giving and the nonprofit sector. Listed below are some of the major institutions that collect and disseminate this data, as well as links to some of the most comprehensive reports produced on the scope of philanthropy in the U.S. today.

FOUNDATION CENTER
As the foremost research organization on foundation giving, the Center's mission is to support and improve institutional philanthropy by promoting public understanding of the field and helping grant seekers succeed.

•	Grantmaker Stats - Statistical data on U.S. private and community foundations and their funding patterns.
•	National Trends - National data and trend analysis on all aspects of of U.S. foundation philanthropy.
•	Foundation Finder - Search by name for addresses, Web sites, basic financial information, and more on 72,000 foundations in the U.S.

INDEPENDENT SECTOR Research
A coalition of over 600 leading nonprofits, foundations and corporations that leads, strengthens and mobilizes the charitable community, IS performs research on the size and scope of the charitbale sector in the U.S.

THE CENTER ON PHILANTHROPY AT INDIANA UNIVERSITY
The Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University seeks to increase the understanding of philanthropy and improve its practice through programs in research, teaching, public service, and public affairs.

GivingUSA Foundation

The GivingUSA Foundation, formerly the AAFRC Trust for Philanthropy, supports research and education and publishes GIVING USA, the annual yearbook on American philanthropy.

NATIONAL CENTER FOR CHARITABLE STATISTICS
The NCCS is the national clearinghouse of data on the nonprofit sector in the United States. Its mission is to develop and disseminate high quality data on nonprofit organizations and their activities for use in research on the relationships between the nonprofit sector, government, the commercial sector, and the broader civil society.

ARNOVA
The Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action (ARNOVA) is membership organization that fosters the creation, application and dissemination of research on voluntary action, nonprofit organizations, philanthropy and civil society.

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