Research on Philanthropy in Pevious Recessions

These reports from The Foundation Center provide data on philanthropic giving during recent recessions.

Giving in the Aftermath of September 11: Final Update on the Foundation and Corporate Response, provides a comprehensive overview of the more than $1.1 billion of grants awarded by 1,339 foundations and corporations through September 2004.

Past Economic Downturns and the Outlook for Foundation Giving provides historical context by examining foundation giving trends in prior recessionary periods and times of economic distress. Drawing upon existing data and research, the report offers perspectives on the future outlook in light of current conditions and explains factors that generally cause foundation giving to remain relatively stable even when economic conditions are turbulent.

Do Foundation Giving Priorities Change in Times of Economic Distress? is an examination of trends in foundation giving priorities during times of financial difficulty. The Foundation Center analyzed more than 830,000 grants of $10,000 or more awarded by over 1,000 of the nation’s largest foundations between 1999 and 2005 to see whether there were any significant changes in relative grantmaking priorities across major subject areas during the economic downturn of 2001 to 2003.