Latest Research

Explore our newest studies and reports

Our research focuses on increasing knowledge about the nonprofit sector and improving the practices of giving, volunteering, fundraising, nonprofit organization management, and other aspects of generosity.

The Philanthropy Outlook 2024 and 2025

The Philanthropy Outlook 2024 & 2025 uses empirical data to develop year-to-year inflation-adjusted growth rates for total giving and giving by all four donor sources: households, foundations, estates, and corporations. The report describes how different economic variables such as GDP, net worth, and the S&P 500 impact giving by each source. In addition, the report explores conditions that may affect the outlook for giving in the next two years. This report provides nonprofit leaders, fundraisers, and practitioners with data they can use to inform and develop effective strategies for their organizations in the coming years.

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American Jewish Philanthropy 2022: Giving to Religious and Secular Causes in the U.S. and Israel

This report examines American Jewish giving and volunteering in 2022, with a strong emphasis on religious giving and giving to Israel-focused organizations. The study conducted a survey of over 3,000 American households in March 2023, about two-thirds of which were from Jewish households and around one-third from non-Jewish households. The report explores how certain factors—household income and wealth, marital status, educational attainment, children living at home, and age—influence philanthropy as demonstrated by prior research and how those effects differ as compared to non-Jewish households.

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Everyday donors of color feature

Diversity and philanthropy

The Everyday Donors of Color report series delves in to understanding the giving trends and patterns of everyday donors of color. The first phase’s sole report Everyday Donors of Color: Diverse Philanthropy During Times of Change highlights the importance of developing a more inclusive set of philanthropic practices for organizations in the aftermath of the pandemic. The second phase’s first report The Giving Environment: Giving Trends by Race and Ethnicity explores the various factors affecting giving patterns within communities of color. The second report The Speed of Trust: An Experiment Examining the Effect of Trust on Giving among Members of Diverse Racial/Ethnic Groups explores the relationship between a donor’s trust in a charitable organization and donation behavior. The series reflects a systematic review of existing literature, data from acclaimed surveys, insights from focus groups with diverse donors, and multiple case studies spread throughout the reports.

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Charitable Giving by Affluent Households

Eighty-five percent of affluent households gave to charity in 2022 with the value of their average gifts rising 19 percent above pre-pandemic levels, according to the 2023 Bank of America Study of Philanthropy released today. The study found that affluent households gave an average of $34,917 to charity in 2022, up from $29,269 in 2017, though less than the $43,195 they gave in 2020 when giving levels peaked in response to needs created by the pandemic and an increased awareness of racial and social justice issues.

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Mapping Nonprofit Spending on Climate Change

Mapping Nonprofit Spending on Climate Change provides new insights to the understanding of the specific strategies that nonprofits are taking to address climate change, as well as issuing recommendations for funders who hope to advance this vital work. This study serves as an important first step in recording the total funding spent on work to address climate change mitigation at US nonprofit organizations working wholly or partly on the environment and climate change. The study also provides estimates of the total climate spending by relevant US nonprofit organizations, including estimates of spending across both mitigation and adaptation, and with breakdowns in three different areas: by geography, tactics, and sectors.

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The LGBTQ+ Index

Launched in May 2023, The LGBTQ+ Index tracks the landscape of charitable organizations in the U.S. serving the LGBTQ+ community, including the amount of philanthropic support they receive from individuals, foundations, and corporations.

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