A report the Foundation Center just released, commissioned by the California Regional Associations of Grantmakers (Northern California Grantmakers, Southern California Grantmakers, and San Diego Grantmakers), provides a comprehensive estimate of the extent to which communities of color are being served by foundation giving in California. The analysis of grantmaking by 50 of the state’s largest independent foundations finds that at least 39 percent of California-focused grants benefited populations of color.

According to the report, Embracing Diversity: Foundation Giving Benefiting California’s Communities of Color, in 2005 alone, these 50 California-based foundations awarded a minimum of 2,700 grants totaling nearly $300 million to support health, education, social services, and other programs that serve ethnically or racially diverse populations. In addition, 10-year trends show that giving benefiting these populations grew nearly twice as fast as overall giving between 1996 and 2005.