The 2013 edition of CECP’s Giving in Numbers is out. As always, it’s an unparalleled source of corporate giving data and a thoughtful analysis of where corporate giving is today. This year, a whopping 240 companies participated, make it a particularly rich data set.
What does the data tell us? There are some changes in the giving landscape – trends that we’ve seen percolating that continue to take hold:
- Non-cash giving has surged since the recession and that trend shows every sign of continuing.
- More companies than ever have employee volunteer programs (domestic and international), and a growing percentage of them are developing pro bono service programs (which is one driver behind the increase in non-cash giving).
- Companies keep reigning in their focus. A third of companies now focus more than half their giving resources on one area (which is most often something within the education or health/social services space).
- For the first time in Giving in Numbers history (dating back to 2006), education edged out health/social services as the #1 giving area for companies (although the change is marginal – health still receives a hefty 28% of giving dollars).
But even given these changes – a lot has stayed the same. Giving as a percentage of pre-tax profit is still 1%. Companies still focus on generally the same issues. Are these norms that will still govern us in the years to come? Or will there be any sea changes in the land of corporate philanthropy?
Some questions that we like to ponder:
- Will environment causes ever take off? Companies have definitely started paying more attention to environmental issues over the past decade, but not so much philanthropically. In 2012, environmental causes received only a measly 3% of corporate giving. As our environmental plight worsens, will this ever become a more en vogue philanthropic issue for companies? Or will it remain more of an operational focus?
- What if that non-cash trend continues? If the pro bono trend really does continue and maybe even some day takes hold in the way it’s taken hold in the legal profession, how will that change corporate philanthropy? Will that pre-tax percentage number increase on the sheer value of employees’ expertise?
- Will social enterprises take a bigger slice of giving dollars? There are now more types of animals on the spectrum between for-profit and nonprofit enterprises. And social good is no longer just the province of the nonprofit sector. Some companies – like eBay (client) through The Opportunity Project – are investing directly in social enterprises. Today’s Giving in Numbers only measures investment in nonprofit organizations. Will nonprofits’ share of corporate dollars decrease if the bond between big companies and social startups grows closer?
Will these come to pass? What do you think the 2020 edition of Giving in Numbers will look like?
This post is produced by B+SP’s Corporate Citizenship Center of Excellence, a team of experts, idealists and actionists committed to driving mutual benefit for business and society through the development and support of purpose-driven corporate citizenship efforts. To view the previous post by the Center of Excellence, please click here.
Photo via Edelman’s Facebook page, featuring New York employees during Edelman’s Summer of Service.
