Foundation Center Releases New Study on the Reporting Patterns of Foundations in 2002 (press release)

INTERNET IS THE FASTEST GROWING VEHICLE FOR GRANTMAKER COMMUNICATIONS

New York, NY. November 11, 2002. The Foundation Center has just released the 2002 edition of Foundation Reporting: Update on Public Reporting Trends of Private and Community Foundations, the most comprehensive information available on the number of U.S. grantmaking foundations issuing annual reports and other print publications or maintaining Web sites. The report examines changes in the public reporting patterns of U.S. foundations over the past decade and for the current year. It provides comparisons of foundation reporting by asset size, period of establishment, regional location, and foundation type. In addition, Foundation Reporting provides detailed information on how to research foundations.

"Web sites are the fastest growing vehicle for grantmakers to communicate with grantseekers and the public," noted Loren Renz, vice president for research at the Foundation Center. Overall, the number of surveyed foundations maintaining Web sites grew by nearly 200 in 2002, while those issuing publications increased by just 19. "Given the flexibility, lower production costs, and broader reach of Web-based communication," Renz added, "more foundations are likely to choose Web sites as an important means for conveying information about their work."

Additional Research on U.S. Foundations

Foundation Reporting is part of the annual Foundations Today Series of reports on foundation growth and trends in foundation giving. Other reports in the series include Foundation Yearbook, Foundation Giving Trends, Foundation Growth and Giving Estimates, and Foundation Staffing. The complete series may be purchased at the Foundation Center's online Marketplace, www.foundationcenter.org/marketplace.

"Highlights" of Foundation Reporting and other Foundation Center research publications can be accessed at no charge from the "Researching Philanthropy" area of the Foundation Center's Web site, www.foundationcenter.org/research.

Key Findings from Foundation Reporting
Web Sites Serve as Important Means for Foundation Reporting. The Internet serves as an increasingly important tool for foundations to disseminate timely information on their programs, activities, guidelines, and grantees. The Foundation Center identified 1,269 larger U.S. foundations that provided information to the public through Web sites in 2002, up by nearly 200 from the prior year. The Foundation Center provides annotated links to the Web sites of private foundations and grantmaking public charities through its Web site at www.foundationcenter.org.

Number of Foundations Issuing Publications Up Slightly. The number of surveyed foundations issuing publications increased to 3,258 in 2002, up slightly from 3,239 in 2001. The latest figure was over two-fifths (44.9%) higher than the 2,248 reporting foundations tracked in 1992. The number of surveyed foundations issuing annual reports grew by an even greater 51.2% to roughly 1,500 foundations in the latest year. Still, the share of larger U.S. foundations issuing publications declined to roughly one-sixth (16.3%) in the current year from about one-quarter (25.1%) a decade ago.

Larger Foundations More Likely to Issue Publications. More than seven out of ten foundations (71.7%) with at least $100 million in assets issued publications in 2002. These grantmakers--only 2.8% of surveyed foundations--represented one-in-eight (12.3%) of the 3,258 foundations that issued any publications and one-in-five (19.7%) of the 1,495 foundations that issued annual reports. The largest foundations also accounted for nearly one-quarter (23.8%) of all foundations maintaining Web sites.

Foundations Established Before 1950 More Likely to Issue Publications. More than two out of five surveyed foundations (41.6%) established before 1950 issued publications in 2002. By comparison, roughly one out of four foundations (26.6%) established between 1950 and 1979 and one out of nine grantmakers (10.7%) established since 1979 issued publications. Foundations established before 1950 were most likely to maintain Web sites. Close to 17% of foundations established prior to 1950 used the Internet to provide information to the public, compared to 8.6% for foundations established between 1950 and 1979, and 4.7% for those established since 1979.

Midwestern and Western Foundations More Likely to Issue Publications. The Midwest and the West showed the highest share of foundations issuing publications. Overall, 18.6% of Midwestern foundations issued publications, followed by Western (18.4%), Southern (15.6%), and Northeastern (14.0%) foundations. The West reported the largest share of foundations with Web sites (8.7%).

Community Foundations More Likely to Issue Publications. Close to nine out of ten surveyed community foundations (86.5%) issued publications in 2002, and nearly three out of five (58.1%) maintained Web sites. Community foundations, which represent a large pool of donors, often use print publications and the Web as tools to assist in fundraising and educating the public about their role in local communities. Corporate foundations followed with about one-third (33.2%) issuing publications. By comparison, fewer than one out of seven independent foundations (13.1%) issued publications.

About the Foundation Center
The Foundation Center's mission is to support and improve philanthropy by promoting public understanding of the field and helping grantseekers succeed. To achieve its mission, it: collects, organizes, and communicates information on U.S. philanthropy; conducts and facilitates research on trends in the field; provides education and training on the grantseeking process; and ensures public access to information and services through its 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 philanthropy and is dedicated to serving grantseekers, grantmakers, researchers, policymakers, the media, and the general public.

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