In this last issue of our 2023 Report On Private Philanthropy series, we’re taking a closer look at the giving trends by sector—revealing interesting insights on where and when grants were made. From which countries saw the most grant dollars directed to recipients to the return of the “summer bump”, read on to see what our subject matter experts discovered while tracking and analyzing the activities of a sample of nearly 1,000 private, non-operating foundation clients over the past two years.
Where Grants Were Made
The map below shows the geographic location of grant recipients in 2021 and 2022. Although most of the grants made by the foundations in our sample were made domestically, grant dollars were directed to recipients in the U.S. as well as 34 other locations around the world over the past two years. Of note, the average grant for non-U.S. locations is $90,400 which is more than triple the size of the average US grant of $27,200.
When Grants Were Made
As in previous years, foundation grantmaking activity in 2022 reached its highest point at the end of the calendar year. In both 2021 and 2022, more than one-third of all grants were awarded in the “giving season” of November and December—most likely because these months encompass several holidays and occur just before the end of the fiscal tax year.
Additionally, as we’ve seen in most previous reports, we observed evidence of a “summer bump” in grantmaking activity in June 2022. This is likely due to:
- foundations revisiting their charitable goals at mid-year
- some foundations having fiscal tax years ending in June. In March and April of 2022, there was a year-over-year increase in grant volume due in part to relief efforts following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in late February 2022.
So, what does the future bring for private foundations? While the only constant is change, we believe that charitable giving is well poised for 2024 based on the findings in our full report. We’ll continue to watch and analyze this space with curiosity and encourage you to subscribe to our blog as we’ll be reporting our findings and timely updates along the way.
Questions About This Report Or Want to Learn More?
Whether you’re looking for support for your existing foundation or want to create a private foundation, our philanthropic specialists are here to help. To learn more, schedule a call with us or reach us at 800-839-0054. Together, let’s #begiving.