Aspen Institute Releases First Ever Study on African American Family Foundations
Monday, May 3rd, 2010At the end of April the Aspen Institute’s Program on Philanthropy and Social Innovation announced the release of the first-ever study on African American family foundations.
A Growing Tradition? Examining the African American Family Foundation written by Marybeth Gasman of the University of Pennsylvania, presents a comprehensive snapshot of African American family foundations and lays the groundwork for additional research on these foundations. Gasman answers questions about the professional backgrounds of the founders of African American family foundations, the location of these foundations throughout the United States, and the areas in which they focus their grantmaking. In addition, Gasman examines how these foundations utilize their board members, employees, and volunteers to support their work as well as the range of their assets.
Key findings include:
- Founders of African American family foundations were dominated by professional athletes and also included musicians, actors, doctors, and business professionals;
- Founders were motivated to create family foundations by a desire to give back to their communities, have a significant influence on the world, and to positively impact disadvantaged children;
- Most family foundations are located in states with high concentrations of African Americans, including California, New York, Georgia, and Illinois.
Read the report’s executive summary of Examining the African American Family Foundation online.
The full report, as well as the executive summary, are available online as free downloads at www.aspeninstitute.org/psi.