Corporate Contributions on the Rise
Sophia A. Muirhead
The Conference Board, January 2007
Available
online (fee)
Total corporate contributions in the U.S. and abroad (among 211 corporations and foundations) amounted to $9.8 billion in 2005, The Conference Board reports in its 2006 survey of corporate giving to worthy causes. This represents 71 percent of the overall estimated $13.77 billion in corporate charitable giving in the U.S. in 2005. Total U.S. giving (among 209 corporations polled) was $7.8 billion.
The Conference Board study compared U.S.-giving among 130 corporations and foundations between 2004 and 2005. These contributions to worthy causes have increased by 18 percent among the largest corporations and foundations. These matched cases grew from $5.8 billion in 2004 to $6.9 billion in 2005. Median U.S. giving among this group increased by 8 percent, from $10.7 million in 2004 to $12.5 million in 2005. Total overseas charitable contributions (as reported by 98 companies surveyed) were approximately $2 billion in 2005.
The Conference Board compared 60 international-giving companies and foundations between 2004 and 2005. These contributions to worthy causes have increased by 14 percent.
Corporate U.S. giving ranged from a low of $71,529 to a high of $1.22 billion, with median U.S. contributions at $8.7 million compared to $7.6 million in 2004, an increase of 14 percent.
Support for health and human services maintained its position as a top priority in U.S. corporate contributions by garnering approximately 56 percent of the U.S. contributions, compared with the 15 percent earmarked for education, which ranked second. Among matched-case respondents, there was an increase in giving to health and human services (59 percent), while the percentage of contributions to education decreased from 17 percent to 14 percent.
The survey also reports that: