Key Facts on Community Foundations 2010

Apr 19, 2010
  • Description

For most of the past two decades, annual growth in community foundation giving has surpassed gains reported by independent and corporate foundations. This pattern reversed in 2009, with community foundation giving declining by an estimated 9.6 percent, exceeding the reductions estimated for independent (-8.9 percent) and corporate (-3.3 percent) foundations. This was the first decline in current-dollar community foundation giving recorded since 1994. Community foundations also appear to be somewhat more pessimistic about the outlook for their giving in 2010. According to the Foundation Center's latest "Foundation Giving Forecast Survey," a larger share of community foundations (42.2 percent) anticipate reducing giving this year, compared to corporate (40 percent) and independent (38.1 percent) foundations. Moreover, among the largest community foundations--those giving more than $10 million--half expect to reduce their funding in 2010.

Key Facts on Community Foundations 2010