What’s measured This section looks at the amount of contributions, gifts and grants received by 501(c)(3) private foundations located in the region and filing Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Form 990 from 2001 through 2004. The data are from the National Center for Charitable Statistics, which has not yet released private foundation data for the period after 2004. The data come from the Form 990 submitted to the IRS by those 501(c)(3) private foundations in the region with more than $25,000 annual income. (See the indicator entitled “501(c)(3) Private Foundations Filing Form 990” for a further explanation of private foundations and their reporting requirements.) Why it’s measured Contributions to private foundations provide an important measure of philanthropy in a community. While they do not capture all charitable giving, private foundations, including community-based foundations, have historically played an important role in fostering community philanthropy, which is an important indicator of civic engagement. Indicator results In 2004, private foundations in the region filing Form 990 received $238,875,320 in contributions — $107.92 per capita. This marked a modest gain over 2001 figures, which were $194,166,507 and $92.62 per capita. Among the region’s counties, Form 990 private foundations in Mecklenburg far outpaced their counterparts in other counties in fundraising, with per capita contributions of $283.93. The closest county to Mecklenburg was Gaston ($42.25), with numerous counties barely registering any contributions at all, including Anson, Stanly, Union and York. As a region, private foundations received more in per capita contributions ($107.92) than private foundations in all of North Carolina ($64.91) and South Carolina ($12.63), for Form 990 filers. However, that regional figure was fueled primarily by private foundations located in Mecklenburg. Evaluation The region performs well on this indicator — with per capita giving to foundations that file Form 900 substantially higher than the state average for either of the Carolinas. As a consequence, private foundations in the region, and the donors they represent, are in a good position to help improve the region’s quality of life. While it appears that this wealth in foundation resources is inequitably distributed, with much of it residing in Mecklenburg County, these numbers can be misleading. Charlotte is the base for many foundations that have a regional, even national, focus. Examples include many corporate foundations, as well as the renowned Duke Endowment, whose grant making reaches well beyond the borders of Mecklenburg County and the region. Also, data for this indicator came only from private foundations that filed a Form 990, which excluded foundations with $25,000 or less in income. That means that there may be some level of under-reporting for the surrounding counties, where smaller, family foundations may be more common. Connections This indicator also may be related in interesting and informative ways to economic and demographic characteristics of the region. In particular, as residents and locally based corporations become more affluent in the years ahead — as most demographers and economic development officials predict — one would expect to see a corresponding increase in the level of giving to private foundations.
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