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.
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.
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.
Access the 'Charitable Giving by Affluent Households' report
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.
Access the 'Mapping Nonprofit Spending on Climate Change' report
Latinx Philanthropy: Understanding Generosity Trends Across Latinx Communities in the U.S.
Latinx Philanthropy: Understanding Generosity Trends Across Latinx Communities in the U.S. provides new insights into dynamic patterns and long-term trends of Latinx philanthropy. It offers recommendations for donors, nonprofits and fundraisers on variations among Latinx giving, barriers and challenges for Latinx nonprofits and trends to watch. The data and information in the report stem from literature reviews, three major surveys, and two Latinx focus groups comprised of donors, philanthropic advisors and nonprofit professionals.
Giving USA
Giving USA—published by Giving USA Foundation—is the longest-running, most comprehensive analysis of the sources and uses of U.S. charitable giving. This periodical rigorously estimates donations by individuals, corporations, foundations, and bequests to 1.1 million charities and 220,000 U.S. religious organizations.
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.
2023 Global Philanthropy Tracker
This tracker measures charitable giving across borders from 47 countries at varying levels of development in every world region, highlighting the impact of cross-border collaboration. It also tracks changes in the origin and size of four main cross-border resource flows: private philanthropic outflows as well as official development assistance (ODA), remittances, and private capital investment (PCI). Lastly, it serves as a benchmark for global giving that highlights the critical role that philanthropy plays in community development, especially in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.