Foundation Center Releases Report on
9/11 Philanthropic Response
REPORT IS FIRST IN MULTI-YEAR TRACKING PROJECT
The Foundation Center has released its initial report on
disaster relief and recovery funding by foundations, corporations, and other
institutional donors in the wake of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
The report provides an overview of the size and scope of 9/11 institutional
giving based on data compiled through mid-January 2002.
“The breadth of private giving in the wake of this wide-reaching
tragedy has proved a milestone for philanthropy,” commented Loren Renz, the
Center’s vice president for research. “This report helps to document the role
of foundation and corporate donors in the context of overall private support.“
The report is part of a multi-year project undertaken by
the Center to provide a complete and accurate record of institutional donors’
response to these tragic events and to communicate this information to the public.
In the first phase of the project, the Center is building a comprehensive database
on institutional donors and their contributions to recipients and recipient
funds. In the second phase, the Center will track the ultimate distribution
or use of donations by recipient organizations and funding intermediaries. The
9/11 response project is supported by a grant from the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
Among the key findings of the report:
- The
770 institutional donors included in the Center’s 9/11 response database contributed
$854.4 million for relief and recovery efforts, including efforts to address
issues related to the terrorist attacks and their aftermath.
- Contributions
from institutional donors represented 57 percent of an estimated $1.5 billion
in total private 9/11 response giving.
- Corporate
donors pledged $621.5 million or 73 percent of institutional giving, foundations
pledged $212.6 million or 25 percent, and business associations pledged $20.2
million or 2 percent.
- Total
9/11 response pledge amounts per institutional donor ranged from less than
$1,000 to $50 million. 253 donors pledged or donated $1 million or more, while
the median giving amount fell between $100,000 and $500,000.
- Recipients
of designated pledges and donations included more than 100 “conduit” relief
funds created to channel aid to victims and communities affected by the disaster
and 110 service providers and other organizations dealing with the aftermath
of the attacks.
- The
September 11th Fund of the United Way/New York Community Trust was the top
conduit/relief fund ranked by amount received from institutional donors ($131.9
million or 15% of funding), followed by the American Red Cross/Liberty Fund
($121.1 million or 14 percent).
The full report is available at http://www.foundationcenter.org/research/. Complete listings
of the corporate and foundation donors that responded to 9/11 are posted at
http://www.foundationcenter.org/pnd/disasterrelief/index.jhtml.
Sources of Information
Information on donors and recipients included in the 9/11
response database comes from direct reporting and news releases of foundations
and corporations, Web sites of grantmaker associations, and donor lists compiled
by leading recipients. New information on donors and recipients is added to
the database as it is reported. To augment reporting, the Foundation Center
will conduct a follow-up survey of donors in 2002 regarding their 9/11 pledges.
Late in the year the Center will release an updated summary report.
ABOUT THE FOUNDATION CENTER
The Foundation Center’s mission is to support and improve institutional philanthropy
by promoting public understanding of the field and helping grantseekers succeed.
To achieve our mission, we collect, organize, and communicate information on
U.S. philanthropy; conduct and facilitate research on trends in the field; provide
education and training on the grantseeking process; and ensure public access
to information and services through our World Wide Web site, print and electronic
publications, five library/learning centers, and a national network of cooperating
collections. Founded in 1956, the Center is the nation’s leading authority on
institutional philanthropy and is dedicated to serving grantseekers, grantmakers,
researchers, policymakers, the media, and the general public.
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