Understanding Boston:
Philanthropy
Philanthropy is playing an increasingly critical role in the life of our community, our country and the world. As one of the oldest and largest community foundations in the country, the Boston Foundation has made a strong commitment to examining the impact of philanthropy in our city and state—and the challenges faced by foundations and charitable individuals in the 21st century.
The Boston Foundation invites you to enter into a dialogue about the state of philanthropy through a series of forums and reports designed to explore some of the most critical issues confronting the sector—from strategic foundation grantmaking to charitable giving by individuals—with a special emphasis on Greater Boston.
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Philanthropy Spotlight:
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Geography and Giving: The Culture of Philanthropy in New England and the Nation High-income Massachusetts residents give more than twice the average given by comparable households nationwide, but middle and lower income residents here, burdened by the high cost of living in the Commonwealth, give less than their peers elsewhere in the country. And when area residents give, they give far more to secular causes than to religious institutions. Those are among the key findings in a study of charitable giving released today by the Boston Foundation. |  |
Indicators-related research:
October
29, 2007
October
26, 2007
October
26, 2007 | | Selected grants:
October
04, 2007 |
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Recent Philanthropy Reports:
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By the year 2055, some $41 trillion will pass from one generation to the next in the U.S. and about $6 trillion of that total will go to charities, according to this groundbreaking study by Paul G. Schervish and John J. Havens of the Center on Wealth and Philanthropy at Boston College. Now the authors have applied their methodology to Greater Boston. What kind of impact might the great wealth transfer have on this community and how can we prepare for it?
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Philanthropy Forums:
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May
17, 2006
Estimates of the much anticipated ‘wealth transfer’ in this country have been a topic of conversation in the nonprofit and financial worlds for years—and the numbers are staggering. By the year 2055, some $41 trillion will change hands as Americans pass their accumulated assets from one generation to the next. It will be the largest intergenerational transfer of wealth in the history of the United States—and not all of these resources will be passed on to heirs; even the most modest predictions anticipate that about $6 trillion will be donated to charities.
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November
08, 2005
Countering the Myth of the Commonwealth’s Lack of GenerosityMassachusetts has long been ranked one of the least generous states in the nation, according to the Generosity Index, a widely used list published by the Catalogue for Philanthropy, which ranks all 50 states by how much residents give to charity. The 2002 ranking, for instance, placed Massachusetts at a shocking 49th. Now, a new Boston Foundation commissioned report by philanthropy expert Paul G. Schervish, Ph.D., contains a very different message.
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