The Philanthropic Giving Index: A New Indicator of the Climate for Raising Funds

Abstract

In January 1997, the Indiana University Center on Philanthropy initiated work on a semiannual study of the climate for philanthropic gifts and fund-raising in the United States. This study led to the semiannual publication of the Philanthropic Giving Index (PGI). The PGI measures the climate for philanthropic giving in much the same way that the Consumer Confidence Index assesses the environment for consumer purchases. The PGI focuses on current and expected donor behavior. The authors believe that the PGI will make an important contribution to the field by focusing on current and expected donor behavior. Other available major sources of information on giving focus on past donations, involve significant time lags, and do not attempt to tie donative behavior to solicitation strategies. This research details the methods used to construct the PGI, to select our expert panel, and to form the various subindexes. Next, the potential uses for PGI in research studies is described.

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