Research by Topic
Collective Giving
In cultures around the world, people come together to pool their resources, including time, talent, treasure, testimony, and ties — often referred to as the 5Ts — in formal and informal ways to cause positive change. A growing body of research now demonstrates the phenomenal growth in this form of giving and spotlights its potential for reinvigorating everyday donors and democratizing philanthropy.
Featured Resources:
Community Philanthropy
Community philanthropy can take many forms, ranging from the formal structures of a community foundation to the emergent energy of collective giving groups gathered around a shared geography or identity. Research in this collection seeks to inform how communities of all kinds engage in collaboration, foster cultures of giving, and ultimately achieve better outcomes for all.
This collection includes research from the W.K. Kellogg Community Philanthropy Chair.
Featured Resources:
Donor-Advised Funds (DAFs)
Donor-advised funds (DAFs) are among the fastest-growing tools available to donors as a vehicle for managing their charitable giving. Research from state- and national-level analyses reveals more about the landscape of DAFs — including real data on contributions, payout rates, and asset sizes — to inform conversations and debates as leaders inside and outside our sector consider how philanthropic dollars are best activated when there is so much community need.
Featured Resources:
Family Philanthropy
Family foundations and family donors play an essential and increasing role in addressing social challenges and enhancing the quality of life in communities across the globe. They also face unique challenges as a historic wealth transfer moves over $80 trillion among and across generations, geographies, and causes. Research in this collection seeks to inform how family donors, nonprofits, and communities can most effectively engage one another for the benefit of all.
This collection includes research from the Frey Foundation Chair for Family Philanthropy.
Featured Resources:
Global Philanthropy
Peoples, cultures, institutions, and places come together in countless ways all over the world to construct ecosystems of public good. Globally, these practices are often influenced by Western philanthropic structures and traditions — but more often, they represent unique community expressions of what it means to do good for one another. In this collection, explore research and thought insights on philanthropic practice and trends from around the world.
Featured Resources:
Trends in Philanthropy
Each year, Johnson Center for Philanthropy experts and thought leaders explore trends we expect to see impacting the field of philanthropy in the coming months and years. How are our societies changing, and how are nonprofits and funders evolving in response to community needs and global crises?
These questions and others — about the value and use of data, about trust in our relationships, about philanthropy’s role in advancing equity — both shape and are shaped by larger, dynamic forces in our world and our work. Resources in this collection are meant to help you anticipate and embrace what’s next.
Featured Resources:
- 11 Trends in Philanthropy for 2025 (Coming soon!)
- 11 Trends in Philanthropy for 2024
Workplace, Belonging, Wellbeing
Our workplaces are undergoing a period of enormous change. Nonprofits, foundations, their employees, and their partners are navigating new demands for flexible work arrangements and increased compensation and benefits, while exploring new ways of supporting leadership to prevent burnout and increase impact. Simultaneously, a historic crisis of public trust means philanthropy is both uniquely positioned to heal divides and potentially vulnerable to real risks. Resources in this collection aim to help leaders and staff navigate the post-pandemic workplace and build more inclusive spaces for all.
Featured Resources: