How the Chronicle’s Survey of Grant Makers Was Compiled

The Chronicle of Philanthropy’s annual survey of the nation’s largest foundations studied financial information from 192 of the biggest grant makers in the United States.

Of those, 92 completed a Chronicle questionnaire, while data on 100 foundations that declined to participate came from their Form 990-PFs, the informational tax returns that grant makers file annually with the Internal Revenue Service and make available to the public.

The survey requests more updated asset and grants information than is reported in the most recent informational tax returns, which typically cover the 2011 fiscal year, and foundations had a wide array of reasons for declining to fill it out. Most either did not reply, despite multiple requests, or said they were too busy.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation said it would not fill out the form because it thought the survey form forced it to provide “incomplete or confusing” information.

It declined to provide any financial information beyond the assets for 2012.

Selection Process

The Chronicle study was based on data from grant makers that were among the 150 wealthiest or the 150 that gave the most money to charities, according to statistics collected by the Foundation Center.

All foundations included in the survey had assets of at least $388-million or awarded at least $21-million in grants in the fiscal year ending in 2011, the most recent year for which all the groups had audited financial data.

The figures that the foundations provided for fiscal year 2012 were estimated and in many cases were unaudited.

A searchable database, with detailed information for each foundation, is available in the Facts & Figures section of The Chronicle’s Web site, along with more findings from the survey.

The foundation survey was compiled by Emma Carew Grovum, Sarah Frostenson, and Marisa López-Rivera.