Some interesting findings (among many) the report offers include:
- As in previous years, funding for health captured the largest share of grant dollars, while human services had the largest number of grants awarded.
- Half of all grants awarded were of $50,000 or less, except in the social sciences, international affairs, and science and technology. Seven out of ten human services grants were of $50,000 or less.
- Giving to higher education represented 43 percent of all education-related grants, while elementary/secondary education received 31 percent of giving in this subject area.
- The average international affairs grant was $327,794, the highest average among all subject areas; health captured the highest share of international grant dollars.
- The percentage of grants awarded to the arts increased from 10.6 percent in 2007 to 12.5 percent in 2008.
- Foundation support for programs related to women and girls increased 56 percent over the last year.
- In terms of types of grants awarded, more than half of grant dollars provided support for specific project and program activities.
- The median grant awarded by foundations for general operating support - $25,000 - was the lowest among all types of support awarded.
- After an initial concentration in the Northeast at the turn of the 20th century, U.S. foundations in the 21st century are more geographically dispersed than ever, with Western foundations providing the largest share of grant dollars.
- The largest grant recorded for 2008 came from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation for a five-year grant of $461 million to ClimateWorks Foundation.
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