CECP Releases New Data Report on Trends in Corporate Philanthropy

NEW YORK, November 11, 2009 — Today, the Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy released the 2009 edition of Giving in Numbers, an annual report on corporate giving trends available for free download. Giving in Numbers offers a comprehensive analysis of 2008 corporate contributions drawn from 137 prominent companies, including 55 of the Fortune 100.

High level findings include:
• A majority of companies surveyed increased giving from 2007 to 2008 despite 68% experiencing profit declines.
• Non-cash giving surged among companies that increased giving.
• Strong profits through the third quarter, beyond-budget disaster-relief giving, and improved contributions tracking were among reasons given for increased giving.
• Poll results show that CEOs and giving officers are devoted to fulfilling pre-existing commitments to grantees while working to more closely integrate philanthropic strategy with company-wide business objectives.
• Despite sustaining greater profit declines that their non-Fortune 100 peers, 60% of Fortune 100 companies increased giving from 2007 to 2008.
• Pro bono service projects at CECP member companies such as Deloitte LLP, Capital One Financial Corporation, Target Corporation and Gap Inc., exemplify how pro bono service can complement and extend current community investment strategies.
• Corporate giving is increasingly reported as becoming more proactive and strategic, signifying a closer alignment between a company’s competitive strengths and the focus area of the recipient organization.

This year’s report contains the following special sections:
• Giving and the Economy - investigates the economic impact on total giving and presents the myriad reasons for changes in giving. This section also includes a special look at how financial results affect giving and how philanthropy budgets are set.
• NEW! Comparing Industry Data Sources - examines key findings from Giving USA, The Chronicle of Philanthropy, and the Foundation Center with CECP results to determine where alignment occurs for significant trends.
• Fortune 100 Analysis - details changes in corporate philanthropy programs among America's largest public companies.
• Benchmarking Tables - provide philanthropy statistics by industry, pre-tax profit, revenue, and size of workforce.
• 2008 Findings - highlight the industry’s most-watched giving components, such as pro bono service, matching gifts, volunteerism, international giving, corporate foundation giving, and management and program costs.