Feature Story

July 1, 2008

Foundation Center Study Shows Growth in California Grants Benefiting Communities of Color

From Ascribe Newsfeed:

As the diversity of California's population continues to grow, a new Foundation Center analysis of grantmaking by 50 of the state's largest independent foundations finds that at least 39 percent of California-focused grants benefited populations of color.

The report, commissioned by a group of regional grantmaker associations (Northern California Grantmakers, http://www.ncg.org; Southern California Grantmakers, http://www.socalgrantmakers.org; and San Diego Grantmakers, http://www.sdgrantmakers.org), provides a comprehensive estimate of the extent to which communities of color are being served by foundation giving in California.

While the study found that at least 39 percent of California-focused grants benefited populations of color, McGill noted that it should not be inferred that the other 61 percent of domestically focused grants benefit white populations only: "All that can be said about these grants is that specific information about the demographic characteristics of the populations they are intended to serve is unavailable.

Established in 1956, and today supported by more than 600 foundations, the Foundation Center is the nation's leading authority on philanthropy, connecting nonprofits and the grantmakers supporting them to tools they can use and information they can trust.

The three Regionals are Northern California Grantmakers, Southern California Grantmakers, and San Diego Grantmakers and collectively represent more than 400 members, including a wide range of foundations, including private, public, community, family, and corporate foundations who give grants locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally.

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