First Decline in Giving Since 1987
Charitable giving in the United States exceeded $300 billion for the second year in a row in 2008, according to Giving USA 2009. Donations to charitable causes in the United States reached an estimated $307.65 billion in 2008, a 2 percent drop in current dollars over 2007.
The 2008 number is the first decline in giving in current dollars since 1987 and the second since Giving USA began publishing annual reports in 1956, says the annual report on philanthropy, released today for the 54th year by Giving USA Foundation
TM. (
www.givingusa.org) Revised estimated giving for 2007 was a record $314.07 billion.
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Foundations Rethink Giving Guidelines
Foundations are facing a sharp increase in demand for aid, even as their assets have declined, which is forcing them to rethink the way they do business.
Read the New York Times Article on this trend...
2008 Internet Giving Analysis
Target Analytics, a Blackbaud company, has released the 2008 donorCentrics™ Internet Giving Benchmarking Analysis. Key findings from the Analysis indicate that online giving has continued to grow rapidly and that online donors give much larger gifts than traditional donors.
Read the report...
New Report on High Net-Worth Philanthropy
On March 4, 2009, Bank of America released the 2008 Bank of America Study of High Net-Worth Philanthropy, which offers new insights into the giving behaviors of America’s wealthiest donors. The study touches on donor motivations, expectations and retention as well as raising "philanthropic children" and volunteerism
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The Social and Economic Value of Private and Community Foundations
The Philanthropic Collaborative is a new coalition of individuals and organizations dedicated to educating policymakers regarding the inherent economic value of foundations and the work they do to improve America's communities.At the core of their effort is a strong and vigorous defense of the current tax laws as they apply to private giving.
The Collaborative has release an
economic analysis by Dr. Rob Shapiro of Sonecon, which analyzes and estimates the economic and social benefits generated by the support provided by private and community foundations in the United States. Dr. Shapiro is a world-renowned economist who has previously advised President Bill Clinton and Prime Minister Tony Blair. Dr. Shapiro was the U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce for Economic Affairs from 1997 - 2001.
The report indicates that for every dollar that private and community foundations provided in grants and support in 2007 produced an estimated average return of $8.58 in direct, economic welfare benefits. With $42.9 billion in grants and other support that tranlates to $367.9 billion in direct, social and economic benefits. In addition the study looks at the potential negative impact of taxing foundations and other nonprofit organizations.
Nonprofits Fear Disappearing Donations this Giving Season
Charities are bracing for a decline in donations as the faltering economy takes its toll on pocketbooks nationwide. Nonprofit leaders are fretting over donor lists to figure out how they will find the money to run educational programs, deliver food to the needy and pay basic expenses such as health care and mileage reimbursements for employees. Many are creating alternate budgets to account for a lower level of donations they expect this year.
Read more... U.S. charitable giving estimated to be $306.39 billion in 2007Up 3.9 percent despite worries about gas prices, mortgage crisis and housing market Glenview, Ill. (June 23, 2008)—Charitable giving in the United States is estimated to be $306.39 billion in 2007, exceeding $300 billion for the first time in history, according to Giving USA 2008, the yearbook on philanthropy released today by Giving USA Foundation
TM.
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Foundations’ Investment Returns Fell to 9.9 % in Fiscal Year 2007 Wilton, CT - The 300 independent/private foundations and community foundations participating in the 2008 Commonfund Benchmarks Study® of Foundations reported an average total return of 9.9 percent (net of fees) in Fiscal Year 2007, down from the 13.7 percent return reported in last year’s Study. Returns and all other data in the Study were for the calendar year from January 1 to December 31, 2007.
Read more...The Wired Wealthy: Using the Internet to Connect with Your Middle and Major DonorsConvio, Sea Change Strategies and Edge Research completed an in-depth survey and study by that tries to answer the question: What role, if any, can the Internet play in cultivating, securing and stewarding major donors?
View the Study... Philanthropy ResourcesThe Chronicle of Philanthropy
The Chronicle is a newspaper for the nonprofit sector. In addition to their print news publication their website provides a variety of resources regarding philanthropy and nonprofits. They have a free email newsletter that provides a daily briefing on philanthropy news.
http://philanthropy.com/
Philanthropy News Digest
This is the Foundations e-publication about philanthropy news. Scroll down on the left to sign up for this free e-newsletter.
http://foundationcenter.org/pnd/ 
