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Strategic decisions are only as good as the research that goes into making them. Candid's researchers analyze and interpret the most current philanthropic data so you can tap into it. Hundreds of full-text reports published over decades are available to download here in our frequently updated open access repository.

Also available: a collection of reports that use Candid data. Access the Candid data in the field library.

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Key Facts on Foundation Evaluation, 2017

November 6, 2017

In 2017 Foundation Center surveyed a sample of U.S.-based foundations about whether they conduct evaluations, what they evaluate, and whether they share what they learn outside of their organization. This infographic lays out key findings from that survey.

Special topic trends

International Giving by U.S. Community Foundations: Local Communities with Global Reach

July 13, 2017

This report, a joint effort by the Council on Foundations and Foundation Center, examines the current state and recent trends in international giving and engagement by large U.S. community foundations. The first-ever analysis of this type suggests that many community foundations are beginning to adopt a broader, more nuanced definition of "community" than they have in the past.The report documents how funds channeled from U.S. community foundations support international programs and recipients and highlights five U.S. community foundations and their approaches to global engagement and international grantmaking. For this report, we analyzed all the international grants made by U.S. community foundations included in Foundation Center's set of 1,000 of the largest U.S. Foundations from 2011 to 2014, which included 10,533 grants worth $697 million.

International trends; Special topic trends

Key Facts on Brazilian Social Investment: GIFE Census 2014

July 28, 2016

Key Facts on Brazilian Social Investment describes the characteristics of GIFE member organizations—Brazilian corporations and independent, family, and community associations and foundations using social investments for public benefit in Brazil. Data are based on GIFE's biannual surveys of its members.

Special topic trends

Key Facts Sobre o Investimento Social no Brasil: Censo GIFE 2014

July 28, 2016

Key Facts Sobre o Investimento Social no Brasil describes the characteristics of GIFE member organizations—Brazilian corporations and independent, family, and community associations and foundations using social investments for public benefit in Brazil. Data are based on GIFE's biannual surveys of its members.

Special topic trends

2015 Columbus Survey Findings

July 21, 2016

"2015 Columbus Survey Findings" presents a snapshot of data on community foundation growth and related operational activity during fiscal year 2015. These findings are based on Columbus Survey responses from 271 community foundations, accounting for over 90 percent of the field's estimated assets. Results from the Survey show a slowdown in asset growth after several years of rapid field expansion, though positive trends in grantmaking, as well as in operating efficiency, are also seen. These findings and more are unpacked and illustrated in this report on the state of the community foundation field.

Regional trends; Special topic trends

Advancing Human Rights: Update on Global Foundation Grantmaking, Key Findings - 2016 Edition

July 19, 2016

In 2013, foundations allocated $2.3 billion in support of human rights. The Advancing Human Rights initiative defines human rights grantmaking as funding in pursuit of structural change, often in support of marginalized populations, to advance rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and subsequent rights treaties. All grantmaking consistent with this definition was included in this research, including grants by funders who do not consider themselves to be human rights funders but who support work in intersecting fields. The 803 foundations included in this edition of Advancing Human Rights: Update on Global Foundation Grantmaking made 20,300 grants supporting human rights. These foundations range from the top-ranked Open Society Foundations, Ford Foundation, and Nationale Postcode Loterij, each reporting over $250 million in giving for human rights in 2013, to foundations awarding one or two human rights grants. This third annual report explores 2013 human rights grantmaking by funder, region, issue, population, and--for the first time--strategy. To provide a more complete picture of giving for human rights, this year's update also includes 2013 data on bilateral and multilateral aid. Advancing Human Rights: Update on Global Foundation Grantmaking also highlights key changes in foundation giving between 2012 and 2013. To control for year-to-year variations in the data set, the report limits this comparison to a set of 649 funders whose grants were included in the research for both 2012 and 2013. Among this matched subset, total grant dollars for human rights rose by 23 percent and the number of grants awarded inceased by 6 percent.

Special topic trends

Foundation Maps for Media Funding

June 28, 2016

This report offers an overview of Foundation Maps for Media Funding, a free, interactive mapping and research tool that shows the full scope of philanthropically-funded media projects worldwide since 2009. Developed by Foundation Center and available on the Media Impact Funders' website, this new tool enables users to see, understand, and dig deep into the numbers, networks, and trends surrounding media and philanthropy.

Special topic trends

Peace and Security Funding Index: An Analysis of Global Foundation Grantmaking

March 31, 2016

The Peace and Security Funding Index: An Analysis of Global Foundation Grantmaking is a first-of-its-kind research project that showcases the foundations and philanthropists dedicated to building a safer, more peaceful and prosperous global future. These funders are investing in efforts to prevent, mitigate, and resolve conflict and to rebuild after conflict. From research on stopping nuclear terrorism to citizen journalism in Egypt, peace and security funders are supporting peace, justice, diplomacy, and dialogue in a variety of ways. In 2013, the latest year data is available, 288 foundations supported over 1,200 organizations with more than $283 million spread across nearly 2,000 grants. The Peace and Security Funders Group (PSFG) and Foundation Center created the Index to help funders, policymakers, and the general public better understand the peace and security funding landscape. The Index identifies who "peace and security" funders are, what issues they fund (e.g., cybersecurity, preventing genocide and atrocities, climate security), where they focus (i.e., specific regions or countries), and how they make an impact (e.g., through public education efforts, journalism, research).

International trends; Special topic trends

Advancing Human Rights: The State of Global Foundation Grantmaking - Working Definition of Human Rights Grantmaking

January 1, 2016

A document outlining the working definition of human rights grantmaking: what this term means, what the goals of human rights grantmaking are, and the various categories of human rights.

Special topic trends

Philanthropy and the Social Economy: Blueprint 2016

December 9, 2015

"Philanthropy and the Social Economy: Blueprint 2016" is an annual industry forecast about the ways we use private resources for public benefit. Each year, the Blueprint provides an overview of the current landscape, points to major trends, and directs your attention to horizons where you can expect some important breakthroughs in the coming year.

Special topic trends

Measuring the State of Disaster Philanthropy 2015: Data to Drive Decisions

November 12, 2015

Jointly produced by Foundation Center and the Center for Disaster Philanthropy, Measuring the State of Disaster Philanthropy 2015: Data to Drive Decisions analyzes funding trends for disasters and humanitarian crises in 2013. In addition to examining U.S. foundation funding, this second annual report integrates other disaster-related funding data, including bilateral and multilateral aid, corporate giving, and online giving, to paint a more detailed picture of how institutional philanthropy is situated within the broader disaster funding landscape. Collectively, this report, along with the dashboard and mapping platform, provides donors, practitioners, and other stakeholders with in-depth information on funding flows for disasters and humanitarian crises. Explore more at disasterphilanthropy.org.

Special topic trends

Grey Matter(s): Embracing the Publisher Within

June 30, 2015

Most foundations don't think of themselves as publishers, yet many of them act as such -- making information available by funding research and publications, or by authoring their own. And failing to think of these activities as publishing efforts has serious consequences for shared learning in the social sector. The shift toward knowledge-sharing strategies and approaches that embrace new search technologies, the logic of open access and open source, and the realities of the Internet as a largely decentralized and dynamic selfpublishing space offers the possibility of coordinating publishing efforts, and possibly agreeing to the use of shared practices that can facilitate shared learning while acknowledging the independence of individual organizations. While there are some common obstacles preventing foundations from moving toward shared systems and practices, there are also a number of publishing practices being widely adopted that together address most of those obstacles and represent a set of shared practices around which the social sector might coalesce and coordinate.

Special topic trends