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Mission The Philanthropic Collaborative is a new coalition of charities, foundations and elected officials dedicated to educating policy makers regarding the economic value of foundations and the work they do to improve America's communities.

The Philanthropic Collaborative (TPC) is a non-partisan organization that brings together foundations, charities and elected officials to provide information to policy makers and the general public about the positive impact of philanthropic foundation giving. TPC's mission is to promote understanding about the important role foundations play in improving America's communities and, specifically, how foundation giving generates substantial and widespread economic and social benefits for all Americans.

In 2008, we released an unprecedented economic study by Dr. Robert Shapiro examining the direct economic benefits of private and community foundations. The study, which can be found on our website at www.philanthropycollaborative.org, finds that for every one dollar spent by foundations, more than eight dollars is generated in economic and social benefits. The response on Capitol Hill and in the media was tremendous. In addition to being highlighted in a Wall Street Journal editorial, our staff and members have been featured on more than a dozen radio shows across the country.

Last year, as Washington grappled to reform our health care system, TPC took a closer look at the role of foundations in the health sector. Broad Benefits: Health-Related Giving by Private and Community Foundations explores the beneficiaries of foundation grants in the health field. The study, written by Dr. Phillip Swagel, finds that health grants are reaching America’s most underserved communities. Of all health grantmaking in the U.S., two of every three dollars is reaching low-income and minority communities.

Most recently, TPC commissioned economist Dr. Doug Holtz-Eakin to study how foundations’ helped ease the burdens posed by the economic crisis. The first of its kind study found that grant-making shifted, expanded and followed the larger unemployment and housing needs that developed and became acute in communities across the country. Even when foundations themselves faced financial stress from the very same crisis, the study shows a very clear shift in grant-making patterns to meet emerging economic needs.

Thank you for taking an interest in The Philanthropic Collaborative and our efforts to communicate the value of foundation giving in policymaking circles. We look forward to expanding and serving our members in the coming year. Please do not hesitate to contact me with your questions or for information on membership at sswirski@philanthropycollaborative.org.

Just Released: Responding in Crisis The most recent study by TPC focuses on the foundation community’s response to the economic crisis. The study, authored by noted economist Dr. Doug Hotlz-Eakin, found that foundations were swift, flexible and targeted in their response to the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression – using on-the-ground knowhow to make a significant impact. This study is the first of its kind to analyze the private-sector response to the crisis and shows that the federal government’s response was not the only story. Click here to read the report. Click here to read the press release. Click here to read quotes from mayors.

Economic Benefits of Health Field Grants Building on the success of our first study, TPC commissioned economist Dr. Phillip Swagel, a former Assistant Secretary for Economic Policy at the U.S. Department of Treasury, to answer the question “who benefits” from foundation giving. Dr. Swagel analyzed a representative sample of health-related grants to determine who benefited from this grant making. The study finds that 2 of 3 grant dollars in health go toward benefiting underserved populations. This study expands our knowledge of how grants in the health field impact all communities, including low-income and minority populations. You can see the study here. Read our press release. View the press conference video.

Foundation Dollars: An Economic Multiplier On December 3, 2008, the Philanthropic Collaborative released a ground-breaking study by Dr. Robert Shapiro measuring the direct and indirect benefits foundation giving has on the America economy. Read more here... Download: Report | Executive Summary Press Release | Remarks Video: Press Conference