Historically, Pennsylvania has been in the forefront of philanthropy. The Commonwealth has been home to some of philanthropy's most renowned pioneers, including Benjamin Franklin and Andrew Carnegie. From these roots, Pennsylvanians have developed a long tradition of philanthropy, giving back to their communities and providing critical resources - money, time and talent - to improve the quality of life in the Commonwealth. Philanthropy has increased steadily over the past century, culminating in a period of exponential growth in the 1990s. At the turn of the 21st century the number of foundations in the Commonwealth tops 3,000 and Pennsylvania ranks third in the nation in philanthropic assets, totaling nearly $28 billion. Between 1990 and 1999 philanthropic giving in Pennsylvania increased by 86%, a dramatic rise that has focused attention on the potential for philanthropy to make a difference in the Commonwealth. This report, the first- ever statewide profile of philanthropic giving in Pennsylvania, seeks to inform legislators, media, corporations, foundations, individual donors and nonprofit charities about the scope of the Commonwealth's philanthropy. It also provides a benchmark for how Pennsylvania's giving compares on a national scale.   The data present a statistical perspective of Pennsylvania philanthropy from 1992 to 1999 (which is the latest data available) with comparisons to national figures, as well as a geographical breakdown by five regions of the Commonwealth: Central, Northeastern, Northwestern, Southeastern, and Southwestern Pennsylvania. For the purposes of this report we are focusing on what is referred to as "organized philanthropy" - the making of grants by independent, corporate, community and operating foundations. We have also included brief profiles on two other significant, non- foundation types of philanthropy: (1) corporate giving, which includes donations not made through a company- sponsored foundation; and (2) individual giving, which continues to be the largest source of philanthropic dollars in the United States. As the three professional associations serving the state's philanthropic sector, we have partnered to bring you this report about the current state of giving in the Commonwealth. As you read, we encourage you to consider the role and potential of philanthropy in Pennsylvania's future. It is our hope that, together, Pennsylvanians will continue to grow our common wealth. We thank these organizations for underwriting this first- ever report on giving in Pennsylvania: Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, Delaware Valley Grantmakers, The Grable Family Foundation, The Heinz Endowments, Richard King Mellon Foundation, New Ventures in Philanthropy - Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers, An Anonymous Foundation