Private philanthropy is reshaping the development landscape like never before. Alongside its statistics on official development assistance (ODA), the OECD collects and publishes data on private philanthropy for development, thus contributing to the broader picture of resource flows to developing countries. This information can inform evidence-based development co-operation policies and promote better partnerships between the different actors.
Statistics on private philanthropy for development
The OECD statistics include project-level information from 41 of the largest private philanthropi foundations working for development. Data reported by these philanthropies are standardised using the same statistical standards and definitions as ODA. Until 2017, only the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation shared this information with the OECD. This makes the OECD statistics a unique source of information on private philanthropy for development. They are also a key source of information for the OECD Centre on Philanthropy.
This flyer highlights some of the main statistical trends from the latest data for 2018-19. See also this brochure on 2017-18.
How to access the data?
Activity-level data on private philanthropy for development are now available – and can be downloaded – through the International Development Statistics (IDS) online databases using the links below:
Creditor Reporting System (CRS), the comprehensive dataset on resource flows to developing countries from official bilateral and multilateral organisations – including ODA – as well as from private philanthropic foundations. Data on activities from foundations can be found under the flow category “Private Development Finance”. This database excludes core/assessed contributions to multilateral organisations.
The CRS is a multi-dimensional and activity-level database which includes information on resource flows by provider, partner country, socio-economic sector, financial instrument, flow type, aid type, amount type and others. Filters and dimensions can be personalised through “Customise” > “Layout”. Activity-level information is accessible by clicking on any of the underlined figure in the result table. The whole dataset (activity-level data) can be downloaded under “Export” > “Related files”.
Private philanthropy for development SDG13: Climate Action
Over recent years, private philanthropic foundations have largely stepped up their financing towards climate action in developing countries. Led by the Bezos Earth Fund, BMGF and CIFF, private foundations provided over USD 1.5 billion for climate action in developing countries in 2020
Foundations’ immediate response to the COVID-19 pandemic
In times of the COVID-19 pandemic, philanthropy has been put to the test to show its reactivity to a global crisis of an unprecedented scale. To better understand private foundations’ immediate response to the global challenges posed by the crisis, a survey was conducted with almost 70 of the largest private foundations working for development. The survey collected unique insights as of mid-May 2020 on both the financial and policy response of the international philanthropic community based in OECD countries. Since the objective of the survey was to capture foundations’ response at the early stage of the pandemic, the findings are of preliminary nature.
The 2020 digital edition of the provider profiles (2018 activities) offers detailed insights on financial expenditures and development programmes of a broad range of providers, including the philanthropic foundations. They include analyses and visualisations on foundations’ bilateral and multilateral allocations, sectoral distributions, SDG focus, geographic allocation as well as contributions to gender equality and global environmental objectives. The profiles are available for each foundation individually, as well as the philanthropies as a provider group.
This report calls into question long-held assumptions about the volume, nature and potential of foundations’ engagement in developing countries, and the role they can play to support the SDGs. Chapter 2 examines the data collected through survey questionnaire.
This working paper highlights the main findings of the 2016-17 data survey on Private Philanthropy for Development and describes how this information relates to the OECD statistics on development finance beyond ODA.
