The Foundation Center has identified more than 38,339 independent foundations with measurable donor or donor-family involvement. These “family foundations” represent more than half of all independent foundations and account for similar shares of independent foundations’ giving, assets, and new gifts and bequests from donors. If all of the nation’s family foundations could be identified, these shares would undoubtedly rise.

Between 2007 and 2008, giving by grantmaking family foundations rose 14.4 percent, far surpassing the 5.4 percent increase for foundations overall. Several leading foundations accounted for a significant part of that growth, and the top 25 family foundations together posted close to 25 percent growth in giving.