Helping individual, family and corporate foundations achieve their charitable objectives with greater efficiency and effectiveness starts with a deep understanding of our clients’ needs. With this in mind, we asked our private foundation clients to reflect on how they approached their charitable giving in 2022—and where they see it going next.
Based on 215 respondents, the majority of our clients (74%) indicated they had no change in their foundation’s grantmaking activities. The results we are seeing demonstrate that the generosity of donors persists even in the face of a challenging market environment. But in our view, we’re also seeing the discipline that underpins the charitable giving strategies of many foundations. Rather than reacting to short-term dynamics, they are building long-term partnerships and deep-rooted philanthropic legacies.
In 2022, our clients made over 47,000 grants, totaling over $1.5 billion in charitable gifts. This level of generosity is inspiring. The results of our survey underscore how the mission-oriented private foundation structure can encourage donors, regardless of market conditions, to remain committed to their missions and serve communities around the world.
Take a look at this interesting breakdown of the results from our 2022 Client Survey to see how generosity and optimism are growing for donors.
2022: Staying the Course
A majority of donors maintained their status quo in 2022
- 74% did not change their grantmaking activities
- Of those that did: 45% increased the number of grants they made, 39% increased the size of grants and 23% increased the number of grantees supported
- 83% didn’t change the asset allocation of their foundation’s endowment
- Of those that did: 29% added equities and 32% added liquidity, with 40% noting the changes were due to the economic environment
2023: Taking an Optimistic View
Most donors plan to maintain or expand their activities
- 58% of foundations have no planned changes and will continue to pursue their long-term strategy
- 21% plan to slightly expand their giving
- 43% plan to add to their endowment in 2023 with 62% of that group citing a planned addition and 18% expecting a liquidity event
Another interesting finding? Our survey respondents also noted that managing succession, hearing from other funders, and understanding the unique features of foundations are topics of highest interest. If you want to learn more about the giving and investing trends of our clients, check out our 2022 Report on Private Philanthropy.
Want to Learn More?
Whether you’re an existing foundation looking for an easier, better way to run your foundation’s operations or you’re looking to start a foundation, please contact our phenomenal team of philanthropic experts. We’re always here to help! Together, let’s #begiving.
