Organizations in California received more foundation grant dollars than those in any other state in 2020 and 2021, followed by those in New York, a report from Foundation Source finds.

A two-year snapshot of foundation grantmaking activities, The 2021 Generosity Barometer found that nonprofit organizations in California received 9,855 grants totaling $232,950,256, while those in New York received 8,295 grants totaling $179,009,782. Massachusetts ($85,228,045), Illinois ($82,407,757), the District of Columbia ($58,550,97), Colorado ($55,343,123), Georgia ($51,367,416), Pennsylvania ($48,777,000), Texas ($47,566,081), and Florida ($46,033,197) rounded out the top 10 List. Massachusetts organizations saw the largest average grant size, at approximately $34,000.

The study also found that, on average, private foundations overall disbursed 6.9 percent and 7.2 percent of their assets in 2020 and 2021, respectively, well above the minimum distribution requirement of 5 percent. Over the past decade, average payout rates have been consistently higher among small foundations (with assets of less than $10 million), which awarded 8.9 percent of their assets in both 2020 and 2021. By comparison, midsize foundations (with assets of between $10 million and $50 million) disbursed 6.2 percent in 2020 and 6.4 percent in 2021, while large foundations (with assets of between $50 million and $500 million) awarded 6.7 percent and 7.1 percent.

“Just like any other industry, ours has its own language and jargon but at its core are acts of generosity,” said Foundation Source president and CEO Sunil Garga. “By every measure, the size and scale of that generosity is both impressive and inspiring. Across the country, private foundations consistently give more than what is required, and that speaks volumes about their commitment to their missions.”

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