New Report on Foundation Funding to Address Domestic Violence

New York, NY — April 21, 2014. Today, the Foundation Center announced the release of a landmark report on foundation support for organizations and programs working to prevent — and address the consequences of — domestic violence in California. Enabled through a grant from Blue Shield of California Foundation, and using data from the Foundation Center’s research database, Foundation Funding to Address Domestic Violence in California is the first-ever examination of philanthropy’s contribution to the field of domestic violence. The report provides a landscape analysis to inform community organizations, funders, government agencies, and other stakeholders working to improve prevailing statistics that show one in three women will experience rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner in her lifetime.

“It is evident from this study that there is still ample space for additional funders to help end domestic violence,” said Peter Long, Ph.D., president and CEO of Blue Shield of California Foundation. “Given the complex causes of and solutions for domestic violence, philanthropic organizations working on a variety of issues — from healthcare to childhood development — have clear opportunities to get involved and make a difference.”

In the period 2009-2011, a total of 96 funders awarded more than $42 million in grants to domestic violence organizations in California. Funds primarily supported family services (80 percent), along with grants for legal services (28.8 percent), prevention (35.6 percent), and public health (27.2 percent).

Other key findings from the report:

• The populations most targeted by foundations were women and girls (96 percent) and children and youth (73.5 percent), followed by the economically disadvantaged (35 percent) and racial/ethnic minorities (16.1 percent).
• Grant recipient organizations located in major metropolitan areas led the state in their share of domestic violence funding dollars: San Francisco (27.4 percent) and Los Angeles (20.7 percent).
• Blue Shield of California Foundation is the leading domestic violence funder in California, making up more than 30 percent of total grant dollars awarded toward domestic violence prevention and services.
• Among the 1,000 largest foundations, the most that invested in any given year during the study period was 74.

“It is essential for funders, practitioners, and policymakers to have concrete data about funding to address domestic violence,” said Brenda Henry-Sanchez, director of research for special projects at the Foundation Center and co-author of the report. “This kind of knowledge helps pinpoint where the gaps are so funders can direct their investments where it will do the most good.”

Data on foundation funding for critical social issues like domestic violence align with the Foundation Center’s stated priorities to communicate philanthropy’s contribution to making a better world and to empower donors with the knowledge tools they need to be strategic. This report provides benchmarks against which to measure future progress in California and can serve as a model for other states that want to better understand the nature of foundation funding to address domestic violence.

The data highlighted in Foundation Funding to Address Domestic Violence in California are from the Foundation Center’s research grants set, which includes all grants of $10,000 or more awarded by 1,000 of the largest U.S. foundations.

The report, which can be downloaded for free from the Foundation Center’s web site, is part of a project funded by Blue Shield of California Foundation that offers tools and training to improve the fundraising capacity of California’s domestic violence service providers. In collaboration with several funder associations and Blue Shield of California Foundation, the Foundation Center will present a webinar on May 6 at 11:00 am (PT) to highlight the findings of the report and engage funders and advocates to discuss its implications for the field. Registration for the webinar is online.

Cheryl Loe
Communications Project Manager
The Foundation Center
(888) 356-0354 ext. 701
communications@foundationcenter.org

About the Foundation Center
Established in 1956, the Foundation Center is the leading source of information about philanthropy worldwide. Through data, analysis, and training, it connects people who want to change the world to the resources they need to succeed. The Center maintains the most comprehensive database on U.S. and, increasingly, global grantmakers and their grants — a robust, accessible knowledge bank for the sector. It also operates research, education, and training programs designed to advance knowledge of philanthropy at every level. Thousands of people visit the Center's web site each day and are served in its five regional library/learning centers and at more than 470 Funding Information Network locations nationwide and around the world. For more information, please visit foundationcenter.org or call (212) 620-4230.

Tags: