As the weather heats up, your mind might be on beach trips, ice cream, and what to add to your summer reading list. If you work in the philanthropic space, you’re in luck: Our peers across philanthropy have recently released a great slate of new research and white papers that our team here at Global Impact has been pursuing. While they may not be breezy beach reads, summer is the perfect time to catch up on what’s happening in our industry. Look below to see what recent research has caught the attention of our team of experts and what takeaways they have.
“Giving USA: The Annual Report on Philanthropy”
“Giving USA: The Annual Report on Philanthropy” is the seminal publication reporting on the sources and uses of charitable giving in the United States.
Scott Jackson, Global Impact’s President and CEO: “Inflation-adjusted giving was down slightly across every giving type; however individual giving decreased by a much smaller percentage than it had in 2022, giving us hope for recovery in this area. Nonprofits can best manage the current landscape by maintaining strong relationships with individual donors — a crucial and loyal segment — and focusing on unrestricted fundraising.”
Lilly Family School of Philanthropy: “LGBTQ+ Index 2024: Measuring Giving To LGBTQ+ Organizations”
The second-annual LGBTQ+ index from the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy is the only comprehensive index of charitable organizations in the U.S. that serve LGBTQ+ causes.
Matt Gembecki, our Managing Director, Partner Solutions: “This is a particularly interesting resource as we celebrate Pride Month. We can see LGBTQ+ history unfold through this index, from the great growth in giving to these organizations in the mid-2010s to the shift away from HIV/AIDS work toward education and elders.”
Benevity: “The State of Corporate Purpose 2024”
Benevity analyzed data from over 1,000 leading companies to release this year’s report, analyzing where mission-driven companies are making their impact this year and social impact program trends.
Brittany Mattfeld Craig, our Managing Director, Campaign Engagement : “One trend we’re keeping an eye on is the growth of employee resource groups (ERGs). There is such an opportunity to further engage employees, foster community, and increase employee giving and volunteering through the very powerful lens of DEI. Engaging with ERGs and folding them into the corporate philanthropic conversation will be crucial in the coming years.”
Gallup: “State of the Global Workplace”
In this report, Gallup features annual findings from the world’s largest ongoing study of the employee experience, examining how employees feel about their work and their lives, an important predictor of organizational resilience and performance.
Deanna Neiers, our Senior Director, Campaign Partnerships: “Employee engagement dipped at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and is now stagnating. But when employees are engaged at work, we see a 78% decrease in absenteeism, 23% increase in profitability, and a host of other positive outcomes. It’s time for workplaces to rethink and revamp their employee engagement strategies in the “new normal” of work.”
YourCause: “CSR Industry Review”
YourCause’s “CSR Industry Review” shares analysis and data on employee engagement program trends and corporate philanthropy from the Global Good Network.
Cassie Call, our Managing Director, Marketing and Communications: “There’s a ton of great data in here about employee engagement, but something that also stood out to me was the growth of international programs. Last year there was significant growth in international grantmaking, from 4% of total grant dollars to 19.5%. This shows there is continued momentum to “globalize” existing programs – good news for our international nonprofit clients!”
GivingTuesday Data Commons
The GivingTuesday Data Commons provides to the social sector what the commercial sector has long benefitted from: big data to drive better decision-making, build a more resilient social sector, and accelerate equitable social innovation.
Victoria Adams, our Vice President, CFC Administration: “This collection of data is a key asset to inspiring greater giving – whether you’re a CSR professional at your company or a leader at your nonprofit. Let’s learn from our peers to make the world a better place.”
We hope you can relax in the sun and catch up on all things philanthropic giving!
