July 27, 2017 | Read Time: 1 minute
Title: 2017 Report on Grantmaking
Organization: Foundation Source
Summary: The size of grants made by small and midsize foundations grew by 3 percent from 2015 to 2016, according to the 2017 Report on Grantmaking by Foundation Source. Many of those foundations exceeded their roughly 5 percent minimum-distribution requirement.
The study measured 883 grant makers — all Foundation Source clients — that hold assets of less than $50 million. Foundations of that size account for 98 percent of private foundations in the United States.
Among the 883 foundations, 42 percent had assets under $1 million; 47 percent had assets from $1 million to $10 million; and 11 percent had assets from $10 million to $50 million. More than half have existed for fewer than 10 years.
Foundation Source is a company that provides support services for more than 1,300 private foundations.
The survey also found that from 2015 to 2016:
- Foundations of all sizes increased their payout rates. Those with less than $1 million paid out an average of 13.2 percent. Those with $1 million to $10 million paid out 8.3 percent, while those in the $10 million to $50 million category paid out 6.9 percent.
- Total grant making by foundations with less than $1 million in assets declined from $21 million to $20 million, Foundations with assets of $1 million to $10 million gave $8 million more than the previous year. And those with assets of $10 million to $50 million gave $9 million more.
- Foundations gave the most to education nonprofits, which attracted nearly 15 percent of grant dollars, human services (nearly 9 percent), and social-benefit organizations (nearly 6 percent).
- Giving increased across all grant-making categories except for arts, culture, and humanities.
- Giving to general operating support grew slightly: It made up 40 percent of grants in 2016, compared with 37 percent in 2015.
