The Council on Foundations and the Center for Public Interest Communication examined American’s perspectives on philanthropy and current communication practices at foundations.
An online survey of 3,557 Americans was conducted in 2023, along with interviews of congressional staffers and an analysis of 2,698 Facebook posts and 563 Instagram posts on Congress members’ public profiles.
Key findings include:
– Americans had positive views about philanthropy, but didn’t understand the charitable sector or the role it plays in their lives.
– With some notable exceptions, members of Congress seemed more interested in collaborating with foundations than increasing regulations on them.
– Respondents said the philanthropic sector has not effectively established a shared narrative to counter harmful narratives about foundations.
– The American public, congressional staffers, and practitioners said they want foundations to be more transparent and share details about how philanthropy works.
– Respondents said that foundations’ use of jargon and borrowed metaphors obscures their role in larger ecosystems of change.
Read the full report here
