RESEARCH DESCRIPTION
The free flow of information is essential to communities in a democracy; it touches every aspect of community life, whether education, environment, safety or civic life. In this context, community and place-based foundations are increasingly supporting information and media projects in their community. To better understand this growing trend, Knight Foundation commissioned a survey of community and place-based foundations to gather information about their grantmaking and non-grantmaking activities related to community information needs. assessment purpose & approach
Key Questions
• To what extent are community foundations providing funding to address community information needs?
• What types of information needs are being addressed by community foundations?
• What barriers are preventing community foundations from addressing information needs in their communities?
Beyond grantmaking, to what extent and how, are community foundations involved in addressing community information needs? Approach: An online survey was distributed in spring 2010 and completed by 135 respondents (92 community foundations and 43 placed-based foundations). Knight administered an additional survey to attendees at the Council on Foundations (COF) conference for community foundations in September 2010, and received responses from 217 individuals at 154 unique community foundations.
Research Partner: The report was produced in partnership with FSG Social Impact Advisors.
PROJECT FINDINGS
• November 2010 Report Findings – Community Foundations
• A majority of responding community foundations are funding (50%) or considering funding (38%) information projects.
• Total contributions in the past year from responding community foundations are at least $117K4 per respondent.
• 46% of responding community foundations indicated that their funding to address community information needs as a proportion of their overall grantmaking budget had increased over the last three years. More than half expect their funding to increase in the future.
• Awareness campaigns were the most frequently cited type of information and media project funded, followed by civic engagement platforms.
• 85% of respondents have engaged in non-grantmaking activities related to information and media, including convening local stakeholders, research, building grantee capacity.
May 2010 Report Findings – Community and Place-based Foundations
• In the past year, 50% of respondents made grants to information or media related projects in their communities.
• In aggregate, at least $23.3M is being contributed to information and media projects, of which approximately $6.6M comes from community foundation respondents (average contribution of $78K), and approximately $16.8M from place-based foundations (average contribution of $453K).
• Aside from the provision of direct funds, 74% of respondents engaged in other non-grantmaking activities to support information and media in their communities
• 52% of respondents providing support to information and media projects believe that their funding in this area represents an opportunity for leadership in their community.