Research & Reports

Click the links below for in-depth reports on philanthropy and issues about the LGBT community.

U.S. Charitable Giving Estimated to be $307.65 Billion in 2008 (2009)

Giving USA's annual report on philanthropic activity, Giving USA 2009, reports that in 2008, $307.65 billion was given out to charitable organizations. This signals a 2 percent drop in dollars as compared to 2007, a drop that hasn't been seen since 1987, but given the tight economic conditions this number is still a victory according to Giving USA's executives.

2008 Bank of America Study of High Net Worth Philanthropy (2008)

The 2008 Bank of America Study of High Net Worth Philanthropy offers new insights into the philanthropy of wealthy donors. Conducted by the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana Univeristy for Bank of America, the 2008 research follows an initial landmark study published throughout this partnership in 2006.

The original 2006 study - which has become a leading resource for the philanthropic sector for understanding the philanthropic behaviors of wealthy donors - was the largest survey of wealthy Americans ever conducted on this topic. The new 2008 study is the result of randomly surveying over 20,000 households in high net worth neighborhoods across the country about their giving in 2007. This study reflects the opinions of nearly 700 respondents throughout the United States with household income greater than $200,000 and/or net worth (excluding the value of their residence) of at least $1,000,000. The average wealth of respondents was $12.6 million. Half of those who responded had a net worth of between $3 million and $20 million.

Giving USA Foundation Report on Giving   (2008)

This report illuminates past trends on philanthropy during past recessions and economic slowdowns. The Giving USA Foundation provides both data about the changes in the nonprofit market as well as recommendations to nonprofit organizations when facing these difficult financial times. 

Philadelphia LGBT Health Assessment (882kb)

The Delaware Valley Legacy Fund incubated the greater Philadelphia LGBT Assessment project.  Researcher, community leader, and activist Chris Bartlett, along with Heather Batson, Dr. Lynne Kotranski, and John Loeb of the Philadelphia Health Management Corporation were contracted by the City of Philadelphia and The Philadelphia Foundation to produce the report in 2007.  Leadership from former Philadelphia Foundation Vice President Lynnette Campbell, Philadelphia Foundation President R. Andrew Swinney, Delaware Valley Legacy Fund board members and staff (Executive Director, Perry Monastero) and Michael Hinson (former LGBT Liaison for Mayor John F. Street) shepherded this report over a two-year period.  The key partners of the project were Hinson and Swinney, who provided the funds necessary to implement and complete the work. 

Several community meetings consisting of donors, institutional partners, activists, allies, corporate leaders, LGBT organization leaders, and other foundation leaders took place as individuals consulted Bartlett and Batson throughout the two-year process.  Since the report's release, several community organizations and researchers have cited the study to increase funding to the needs identified as the most crucial in this report.  The Delaware Valley Legacy Fund encourages the use of the study's use by both funders, researchers, and grant seekers who wish to know more about the needs of the LGBT community in the greater Philadelphia region.

Philadelphia LGBT Youth Health Assessment (7,687kb)

Philadelphia LGBT Community Assessment - A Focus on LGBT Youth
August 30, 2007

Summary by Jessica Martucci

Introduction: The Philadelphia LGBT Assessment is a project funded by the City of Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Foundation to assess the size, composition, and needs of the diverse LGBT populations of Philadelphia. For 2006-2007, Philadelphia’s Managing Director Loree D. Jones and Division of Social Services Director Julia Danzy identified funds to support an LGBT youth study, specifically, which included 1) a review of available LGBT youth-serving agency data, 2) focus groups with LGBT youth, and 3) key informant interviews. Ultimately, the project sought to provide a better understanding of how the City and its community-based organizations might better serve the LGBT youth population which congregates in the City’s Washington West Neighborhood.

Background: LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) youth in Philadelphia are a broad class of individuals, both in terms of their sexual behaviors and identities, and their age. A survey of 1,437 high school students revealed that 3% reported having only sexual partners of the same sex, and 2% reported having sex with both males and females.  The Philadelphia Health Management Corporation’s 2004 Southeastern Pennsylvania Household Health survey revealed that 5% of Philadelphia residents between the years of 18 and 24 reported only same-sex partners, while 2% reported partners of both sexes. Based on information like this, it is projected that there are 9,300 behaviorally homosexual or bisexual young adults between the ages of 18 and 24 in Philadelphia. This is 18% of the entire LGB population aged greater than 18 in Philadelphia.

Findings and Recommendations: Among the results found by the LGBT Youth Assessment project were data that highlighted both where community and city services are strong, and where they could be improved. The survey found that while LGBT youth overwhelmingly found the Washington West district to be central to developing a sense of community, enjoying freedom of expression, and experiencing the empowerment of being in a relative “safe space” compared to their neighborhood streets, there were areas where services and other opportunities could be enhanced.  The report found that as many as 30% of the Attic Youth Center’s new clients were interested in entering counseling, indicating a general need for greater access to mental health services.  Another major finding of the report was that while HIV-services can often serve as a gateway for many LGBT youth into a network of community support, many youth, particularly lesbian and bisexual women and LGBT youth who are in younger cohorts (<16 years old), can be alienated by a concentration of resources in this one area.  The report suggests the importance of not only providing services to youth that are at risk for HIV, but also to those who may be at-risk for other health outcomes resulting from their sexual identity, such as depression, substance abuse, or suicide. Resources should continue to be provided to agencies that currently provide services outside of the HIV service framework.  Finally, the report emphasized the overall need for community that LGBT youth in Philadelphia are seeking when they congregate in the Washington West neighborhood at night. Access to health services like HIV-testing and counseling are only some of the reasons, the report highlights, that Philadelphia LGBT youth are drawn to the “gayborhood” from all corners of the city, and region. Providing these youth with more opportunities to find community and support networks they are searching for can only have a positive impact.