Collectively, annual survey respondents held 11 percent more in assets than 2019. This increase was fueled by a second straight year of strong investment returns and significant increases in fundraising from donors who helped support the local philanthropic response to the emerging COVID-19 crisis. Grantmaking, like fundraising, saw significant increases field-wide.
These findings are based on fiscal year 2020 (FY 2020) data collected from 211 CF Insights annual survey responses, and supplemented with publicly available data. We appreciate all who shared their data and informed these survey results.
Gifts per capita is calculated by dividing the foundation’s total gifts (including supporting organizations) by the population of the foundation’s service area. The service area is defined by each community foundation.
Total transactions represent the number of gifts and grants processed annually (including supporting organizations). The average transaction size represents the total dollar value of gifts plus the total dollar value of grants divided by the total number of transactions.
The distribution rate is calculated by dividing the foundation’s total grants by total assets (including supporting organizations) at the end of the foundation’s fiscal year. The percentage of total assets in donor-advised funds (Percent Total Assets DAF) is the total amount of IRS-classified donor-advised funds divided by total foundation assets.
The following is a list of Annual Survey participants sorted by asset size, supplemented by publicly available information where available.
Larger community foundations tend to maintain relatively complex operating models, requiring a higher number of specialized staff who will be less likely to manage donor funds. (n=167)
Expense to asset ratios among annual survey participants remain consistent with 2020 levels, with an only slight decrease in the overall median (from 1.1% in 2020). As is generally the case, larger community foundations achieve an economy of scale that results in typically lower ratios than for smaller community foundations, though operating model differences at individual community foundations will have an impact on this metric. (n=181)
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Two-thirds of all annual survey participants reported that they ended FY2021 having generated surplus revenue, which is often reinvested back into a given foundation's community leadership efforts.
Among the 139 community foundations who reported their total operating expenses for 2020 and 2021, the median increase in total expenses was seven percent.
Averages were used to total 100%. (n=184)