This indicator tracks the geographic distribution of grants awarded and grants received.  The Foundation Center collects, organizes, and communicates knowledge about U.S. endowment statistics and funding by region and state, in addition to award statistics about the top 50 recipients of foundation grants in selected states and metropolitan areas.  The regional distribution of grants awarded and received is demonstrated by the percentage of the total.  Texas is located in the Southern region and is compared with the West region, Midwest region, and Northeast region.

Why is this indicator important? 

Philanthropy is vital to our democratic society. Therefore, accountability and access to accurate information are key concerns in earning the public trust. Dallas is home to many large and well-known nonprofit organizations, as well as leading institutions in health, education, and research. Many locally based organizations provide grants in Dallas, but the city is served by national groups as well. The funding distribution from various geographic locations is an indication of efforts to build capacity for improvement of the civic well-being of Texas.

How are we doing?
The Foundation Center tracks contributions by organizations across the nation.  These data provide an understanding of nonprofit activity to civil society.   According to the 2006 edition of the Foundation Center’s report titled Foundations Growth and Giving Estimates: Current Outlook, the estimated 68,000 national grantmaking foundations gave approximately $33.6 billion in 2005, an increase above the $31.8 billion in 2004.  Major factors contributing to the boost in giving include the outpouring of foundation support in response to the tsunami in South Asia and Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on the Gulf Coast. 

• Nationally, independent foundations (which include family foundations and health foundations) represented 89% of foundations and accounted for 73% of the giving, according to 2004 data.
• Corporate funding accounted for $3.6 billion nationally in 2004.
• Community foundations represented 1% of all grantmaking foundations but 9% of the giving in 2004.

The 2005 edition of the Foundation Center’s Foundation Yearbook ranks Texas sixth among the states in total giving per capita, based on 2003 data. 

• Within Texas, foundation grants in 2003 totalled $1,449,918—an estimated $66 per capita.
• The number of all foundations in Texas for 2003 was 3,568, and 90% of those were independent foundations.
• In Texas, there are 58 grant individuals who award $10,000 or more by a diverse set of independent, corporate, and community foundations, according to 2003 data from the Foundation Center.

The geographic distribution of the grants awarded and received by grantmaking foundations across the United States are listed here.  There are approximately 1,010 foundations in the United States awarding grants of $10,000 or more, according to 2003 data from the Foundation Center.

Northeast region 

• In 2003, the region with the highest percentage of total awarded dollars was the Northeast at 32%.  The percentage of the total dollars received was 28%.
• The Northeast region awarded 32% of the total number of grants awarded in the nation and received 27% of the total number of grants received in the nation.
• In the Northeast region, there are approximately 303 foundations awarding grants, accounting for 30% of the total foundations in the United States.

Western region 

• The Western region awarded 25% of the country’s total distribution of dollars awarded for 2003.  The percentage of the total dollars received was 22%.
• The Western region awarded 20% of the total number of grants given in the nation and received 23% of the nation’s total number of grants.
• In the Western region, there are approximately 204 foundations awarding grants, composing 20% of the total foundations in the United States.

Midwest region

• The Midwest region awarded 21% of the nation’s total distribution of dollars given in 2003.  The percentage of the total dollars received was 19%.
• In 2003, the Midwest awarded approximately 24% of the total number of grants awarded in the country and received 21% of the nation’s total number of grants received.
• In the Midwest, there are 241 foundations awarding grants, representing 24% of the total foundations in the United States, according to 2003 data from the Foundation Center.

Southern region

• In 2003, the Southern region awarded 21% of the nation’s total dollars given.  The percentage of the total dollars received was 31%.
• According to 2003 data from the Foundation Center, the Southern region awarded approximately 23% of the total number of grants given in the country and received 29% of the total number of grants received in the nation.
• In the Southern region, there were 262 foundations awarding grants, constituting 26% of the total foundations in the country that were giving grants in 2003.
• In 2003, Texas awarded 5% of the total dollars given across the United States in 2003.  The percentage of the total dollars received was 6%.
• The Foundation Center reports that Texas awarded approximately $752,415,872 and 6,202 grants in the United States in 2003.
• In 2003, Texas received 6,267 grants from grantmaking foundations, totalling $784,290,051.