How Engaged Americans See Foundations

Engaged Americans expect a lot from foundations and outline their expectations in this report commissioned by the Philanthropy Awareness Initiative. These citizens – individuals who hold a staff leadership position in an organisation working on community or social issues – are looking to foundations to find solutions to society’s problems, speak up about their work and lessons learned, stay independent from government but accountable to the public, and take action to help the nation contain the fallout from a struggling economy.

What do engaged Americans expect of foundations? A lot, according to High Expectations, High Opportunity, a new report from the Philanthropy Awareness Initiative based on findings from a survey by Harris Interactive. 

In a time of crisis, these citizens, who make up 12% of the American adult population, are looking to foundations to find solutions to society’s problems, speak up about their work and lessons learned, stay independent from government but accountable to the public, and take action to help the nation contain the fallout from a struggling economy.

For philanthropy leaders looking to connect with this critical audience and shape a stronger mandate for foundations, these expectations provide a promising place to start. In many cases, they’re expectations that foundations are well-positioned to meet. Unfortunately, as also indicated by the survey, most engaged Americans don’t appear to know it.

You can download the full report here. To learn more, visit PAI’s new website at www.philanthropyawareness.org.

The Philanthropy Awareness Initiative is a project supported by The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, The James Irvine Foundation, and The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.