The document celebrates 80 years of The Giving Institute and the 60th edition of Giving USA. It summarizes the histories of both organizations, noting that The Giving Institute was founded in 1935 and first published data on charitable giving in the 1940s, launching the first Giving USA report in 1956. Both organizations have played pivotal roles in supporting, researching, and increasing understanding of philanthropy in America over many decades. The report also highlights some key milestones and trends shown in Giving USA reports over the years.

1. Celebrating Service to Philanthropy
The year 2015 is one of triple celebration in the philanthropy arena, as three milestones are being marked: the 80th
anniversary of The Giving Institute, publication of the 60th
consecutive edition of Giving USA, and the news from
Giving USA 2015 that estimated charitable giving by Americans reached an all-time record of $358.38 billion
in 2014!
One way we are celebrating is by publishing this special edition of Spotlight, which showcases not only the inter-
twined histories of The Giving Institute and Giving USA, but the role each has played in America’s philanthropic
sector—both historically and today.
Quite simply, as more than one leader in the field has stated, you couldn’t have one without the other.
1935—A Pivotal Year for Beer, Board Games,
Baseball—and Fundraising
It all began in 1935. That was
when Americans celebrated
the introduction of canned
beer, spent hours playing
the board game Monopoly
and for the first time ever,
were able to enjoy America’s pastime—professional
baseball—at night.
In quieter fashion, another innovation also came into
being—the American Association of Fund-Raising Counsel
(renamed The Giving Institute in 2005). A trade associa-
tion first composed of eight elite firms, it sought to
enhance professionalism and create high standards for
the largely unregulated area of professional fundraising.
Members of the fledgling organization paid $50 in annual
dues ($869.77 in 2015 dollars) to promote this effort.
Among its early achievements and contributions to the
fundraising field were structure and its Code of Ethics.
The Giving Institute championed the development of
widely accepted standards of professional conduct,
helped to fund the start-up of the United Way, and
worked with New York’s legislature to develop and
enact the Charity Registration Act, which became the
Giving USA
Spotlight
1959
Sputnik increases
importance of
philanthropic
support for
research
1956
Giving to religion
captures nearly 50%
of all donations
1957
First usage of
"venture philanthropy"
1957
Increasing use of
foundations in corporate
philanthropy
1956
New Jersey court
clarifies the right of
corporations to give
1956-60
Rising interest in the role of corporate donations
1956
Giving USA is published for
the first time by the
American Association of
Fundraising Counsel
Highlights from 60 years of Giving USA
GIVING INDUSTRY
POLITICAL INFLUENCES
SOCIAL INFLUENCES
RECEIVING MILESTONES
GIVING MILESTONES
60th
ANNIVERSARY 1960
First of several years
where giving to
religion "did not
increase in greater
proportion than
population"
1960
Increasing support
for cultural projects
1962-64
Rise of foundation
giving with focus
on education
1964
First reported mega-gift: $10 million
bequest to University of Illinois
1965
Corporate
philanthropy now
seen as a business
strategy
1965
Ford Foundation
provides $85 million
for American
symphony
orchestras
1965
President Johnson
announces the
National Endowment
for the Arts
1965
Philanthropy
begins to focus on
environmental issues
Celebrating Service to Philanthropy:
80 years of The Giving Institute and 60th edition of Giving USA

2. 2 Giving USA Spotlight November 2015
Celebrating Service to Philanthropy
basis for a nationwide model. Its member firms have
helped charitable organizations raise billions of dollars and
provided invaluable counsel to philanthropic institutions.
Like-minded People doing Like-minded Work
Today, The Giving Institute’s 46 member firms, who
meet rigorous standards and complete an extensive
interview process prior to being accepted, are profes-
sionally and geographically diverse, “a collection of like-
minded business owners doing good work and trying to
make the world a better place,” said Nancy Raybin, a
former chair of both The Giving Institute and Giving
USA Foundation.
Insight from The Giving Institute’s experts is held in
high regard. Representatives from the organization are
sought whenever clarity on the state of philanthropy is
needed, including by whomever is occupying the White
House and Congressional committees. Media seek out
experts from the Foundation and Institute frequently as
a source for stories related to philanthropy or charitable
giving trends and patterns. Other related associations
and groups often contact the group about becoming
partners because they recognize the value of The Giving
Institute name.
A Public Service that Serves the Sector—
and Garners Headlines that Prove it
Media attention for each year’s release of Giving USA is
widespread and eagerly anticipated. Coverage comes
from virtually every outlet one could name, from the
Chronicle of Philanthropy to NPR; from the Wall Street
Journal to the New York Times; from thousands of news-
papers, radio stations and websites that carry stories by
the Associated Press to USA Today. In short, when we
announce how much Americans donate to charity, it’s
big news and a big deal.
One of the sector’s most respected leaders, Andrew
Watt, FlnstF, president and CEO of the Association of
Fundraising Professionals (AFP), said that “the histories
of AFP and The Giving Institute are closely intertwined,
with some of the members of the Institute playing a part
in the creation and development of our association. The
Institute’s role in setting best practices and ethical stan-
dards has made an indelible impact on the evolution of
our profession, and we’ve been glad to call the Institute
both a friend and a partner for many years.”
1966
New attention on health
with the introduction of
Medicare and Medicaid
1968
Vietnamese
refugees attract
attention to
international
giving
1969
Foundations
increasingly seen
as a source of
innovation for
solving social ills
1966-68
Nonprofits increasingly
funded by government during
"War on Poverty" prompt
debate of private funding for
public services
1969
Tax Reform Act defines
giving requirements for
foundations
1970
A rapidly declining
economy halts
many philanthropic
campaigns in the
first half of the year
1970
total giving
$21.04B
THE RISE OF TOTAL GIVING
1970-79
Rise of
bequest giving
1973-75
Inflation-adjusted
giving declines an
average of 3.1%
1970-74
Campus protests, an
unpopular war, and a
rapidly declining
economy impact
philanthropy
1974-76
Nonprofits navigate
increased demand and
decreased government
support
1970
total giving
$21.04B
As early as the 1940s, the Association was charting giving in
America. By hand. On graph paper.

3. 3 Giving USA Spotlight November 2015
Celebrating Service to Philanthropy
Embracing the future to better
serve philanthropy also keeps
best of the past
When you ask Giving Institute Chair
Jeffrey Byrne about what the future
holds for the organization and the way its
members serve the philanthropic sector,
he paints a bright picture.
“I’m really excited about the future,” he
said. “When we started welcoming soft-
ware and technology companies as mem-
bers, we started to evolve as an associa-
tion—these allied organizations are part
of [professional fundraising’s] future and
offer a new perspective on our country’s
philanthropic culture that we can learn
from.”
The latest apps and software aren’t
replacing traditional relationship-building
that goes on between charitable organiza-
tions and donors, Byrne said; not at all.
Instead, technology complements these
relationships in ways that would have
been unimaginable at the founding of The
Giving Institute 80 years ago.
Institute members often cite the collegial-
ity and knowledge-sharing fostered by
the group as key benefits to belonging.
When you combine experts from the
realm of fundraising consulting with
peers from the software and technology
world, the opportunities for professional
growth, business development and
knowledge expand by leaps and bounds,
Byrne said.
“The tech firms can both learn from and
help our clients,” Byrne said; in return,
member organizations can better advise
charitable organizations about how to
adopt appropriate technology to reach
donors. Byrne feels so strongly about its
importance, he added that ignoring
technology or refusing to embrace it
could be considered akin to committing
“fundraising malpractice.”
Byrne wants to make sure the Institute’s
member organizations avoid that fate, and
one of his two main goals as chair addresses
the issue. First and foremost, he said, is
promoting what The Giving Institute
does to provide member organizations
the tools necessary to do a better job for
their clients. Including technology and
other allied organizations under The
Giving Institute umbrella is one way the
association is addressing that need.
He phrased the second goal in the form of
a question: “How can The Giving Institute
help us better our own companies?” That
goal encompasses benefits inherent to
membership in an industry association,
like providing opportunities that keep
organizations at the top of their field, as
well as help improve the bottom line.
Byrne added that “everything I’m going to
do over my term as chair will relate to
those two goals.”
While change and innovation are impor-
tant to not only sustain but expand the
organization, so is maintaining the code
of ethics developed 80 years ago—the
code that is the bedrock of The Giving
Institute, Byrne said. Every current and
prospective member organization agrees
to adhere to it, just like all the member
organizations who came before.
That code, he added, “bar none, is the
most stringent in the field, and has been
for 80 years. Isn’t that a great legacy for
all fundraisers?”
Looking beyond the two years he will
spend at the helm, Byrne said “I think The
Giving Institute is going to continue to
evolve. While our mission and vision will
always appeal to organizations providing
fundraising counsel, they will also attract
more technology firms related to philan-
thropy, and that’s an exciting prospect.”
1980
total giving
$48.63B
1977
Deferred-giving
vehicles, a precursor
to donor-advised
funds, created
1978
Increasing discussion of
African-American
philanthropy
1976
Bicentennial
celebrations receive
significant gifts
1980
Increasing focus on
global giving due to
refugee
resettlement,
Italian earthquake,
and famine in
Somalia
1975-79
Continued political
turmoil, energy crisis,
and high
unemployment shape
philanthropy
1980
total giving
$48.63B
1981
President Reagan
lowers top tax
bracket to 50% in
the Economic
Recovery Tax Act
of 1981
1985
Nonprofits struggle to
provide services as
Gramm-Rudman Act
cuts public support as
tax rates decrease
1982-87
Giving to religion rebounds,
rising from 45% of giving in 1981
to 53% of giving in 1987
1985
The AAFRC Trust for
Philanthropy established
as a 501(c)3 to support
education and research
about philanthropy
1982
Charitable
Contributions
Legislation allows
non-itemizers to
deduct charitable gifts
1984
Fundraising is
increasingly
competitive and
professionalized
1985
Rise of
celebrity-focused
philanthropy as Live
Aid and Farm Aid raise
>$100 million each
Jeffrey Byrne, Chair of The Giving
Institute

4. 4 Giving USA Spotlight November 2015
Celebrating Service to Philanthropy
Visionary Leaders Expand Giving USA’s
Horizons
The formation of Giving USA Foundation in 1985 was
spurred by forward-looking association leaders Arthur
Raybin, John Grenzebach and Charles Lawson. They
envisioned opportunities for expanding funding from
outside the membership, as well as broadening the
scope of what was offered to the philanthropic sector
that would continue to advance the research, education
and public understanding of charitable giving.
Another leader from that era, Maurice Gurin, went a
step further, funding an endowment that allows the
Institute to host forums from time to time designed to
stimulate dialogue, debate, research and education
within philanthropy. The November 2015 Gurin Forum
featured an expert panel discussing the future of donor-
advised funds and their impact on the sector.
1989
Public awareness of
the gap between
rich and poor
demonstrates role
of philanthropy to
solve societal needs
1986-90
Charitable
Contributions Law
phases out charitable
deductions for
non-itemizers
1987
The Combined
Federal Campaign
(CFC) is made
permanent
1987
Charitable support
(especially from foundations)
for AIDS-related programs
makes headlines
1988
Fortune magazine notes that the poor tend
to be more generous than the rich; a claim
later substantiated through research
1988
Corporate giving
to pre-college
institutions
heightens
1988
Debut of The
Chronicle of
Philanthropy
Giving USA Grows into Role as Seminal
Report on Charitable Donations
The creation of a publication that
would report on the state of philan-
thropy was a natural offshoot of The
Giving Institute’s work and vision.
As early as 1940, it was issuing snap-
shots of charitable giving, such as
donations made to America’s com-
munity chests. In 1956, it published
the first of what currently numbers
60 editions. Giving USA, Facts about
Philanthropy, projected that 1955 giv-
ing would total more than $6 billion,
once tax data for that year became available (today, 1955
giving is estimated to have totaled $7.14 billion). The
longest-running annual report of its kind, Giving USA is
considered the foremost publication on philanthropy in
the United States. To those who work in this sector, as
well as anyone studying America’s economy and the
variablescontributingtoit,GivingUSAisavitalresource.
The first 45 editions of Giving USA were researched and
written by in-house staff; since Giving USA’s 2001 report,
the research and writing have been conducted by the
Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.
Of the groups responsible for its publication, Dr. Amir
Pasic, the School’s Eugene R. Tempel Dean, said that
“these two organizations have long been leaders in
strengthening data that illuminates our national under-
standing of philanthropy. The Giving Institute’s fore-
sight in recognizing the value of underpinning profes-
sional practice with objective, reliable data led it to pio-
neer one of the first comprehensive research projects in
philanthropy, the Giving USA report.”
The three visionary association leaders who formed Giving
USA Foundation, at its official incorporation in 1985:
Arthur Raybin, John Grenzebach and Charles Lawson.
The first edition
of Giving USA,
published in 1956.
1990
total giving
$98.48B
1995
total giving
$123.10B
1993
Interest in women
as donors follows
Wellesley College's
successful capital
campaign
1991
Giving
hits $100 billion
1991
United Way loses its
status as primary
collector and distributor
of Combined Federal
Campaign
1991
Giving to
environment/animals and
introduced into Giving USA
1993
Donor Bill of
Rights
established
1994
university-wide campaign, the largest
in higher education ($2.1 billion)
1993
New accounting
standards issued for
statements

5. 5 Giving USA Spotlight November 2015
Celebrating Service to Philanthropy
1999
First study to mention
giving by "GLBT"
(LGBTQ) community
1998
Cause-related marketing
campaigns and in-kind gifts
of pharmaceuticals make
headlines
1998
Social Venture Partners
established 1999
CECP is founded, and
guidelines for
corporate citizenship
are formalized
1996
Charitable choice
legislation removes
some barriers to
government funding of
programs run by
religious charities
1996
Bill Gates gives his
first multi-million
dollar gift; $15 million
to Harvard University
2000
Religion continues to
receive the most,
although a declining
share of all giving
1997
Mega-gifts: Ted
Turner pledges
$1 billion to
United Nations;
George Soros
gives $500
million to Russian
programs
1997
Bill and Melinda
Gates announce
they have
established a
foundation
1996-99
Giving to religion begins
sharp decline
2005
total giving
$292.43B2001
The White House Office
of Faith-Based and
Community Initiatives
(OFBCI) is created
2002
The term
"e-philanthropy"
appears
2000
Religion continues to
receive the most,
although a declining
share of all giving 2001
Americans give almost
$2 billion to support
9/11 recovery
2004
Joan Kroc, widow of
McDonald’s founder Ray
Kroc, leaves one of the
largest gifts ever – $1.5
billion to The Salvation Army
2002
Giving by direct mail
declines as online giving
grows
Seven Decades, Three
Milestones—and $358.38 Billion
With 2015 marking significant milestones
in the history of Giving USA, Giving USA
Foundation Chair W. Keith Curtis
recently took time to reflect on many
aspects of its importance and place across
the philanthropic sector and American
society as a whole.
“In a year where we are celebrating
Giving USA’s 60th
anniversary and the
80th
anniversary of The Giving Institute,
our 2015 edition reported an all-time
record in charitable giving by Americans—
an estimated $358.38 billion,” he said.
“That is a remarkable amount and the
most in our country’s history, and a mile-
stone definitely worth celebrating.”
The attention paid when each annual
report is issued has earned Giving USA
the label of “closely watched” by major
media. In addition to the trade, business
and consumer press who report its find-
ings, the reading audience ranges from
fundraising professionals working within
and on behalf of our country’s million-
plus charitable organizations to the high-
est levels of government.
“From the start, the backbone of Giving
USA has been the integrity of our data.
We stood behind that data in 1956, and we
stand behind it today,” Curtis said. “I
think The Giving Institute leaders who
first envisioned the report as a public ser-
vice initiative would be quite pleased to
know their goal of providing America the
facts about charitable giving has contin-
ued, without pause, ever since.”
One interesting aspect of Giving USA is
the fact that its research and affiliated
publication costs have always been pri-
vately funded. It has never received finan-
cial support from any government agency.
Originally, The Giving Institute’s member
organizations covered the majority of the
expense involved. When three visionary
Institute leaders formed Giving USA
Foundation in 1985 as a separate, charita-
ble entity, they saw potential for expand-
ing the donor universe, since contribu-
tions to it would be tax-deductible, an
attractive benefit.
What has never changed is that all funding,
then, now, and the years in-between, goes
toward fulfilling the Foundation’s mission:
to advance the research, education and
public understanding of philanthropy.
Since Giving USA’s reputation as the sem-
inal report on philanthropy in America
has helped attract outside support, Curtis
noted another role is that of steward. The
chair needs to ensure the report’s legacy
remains intact and that all donors feel
appreciated for their contributions.
He added that “some of our benefactors
have supported us for decades, and each
chair must continue the good work our
predecessors did to nurture those long-
standing relationships and acknowledge
their gifts in a meaningful way.”
From the start, Giving USA has been
viewed as a public trust—there was no
other mechanism in place at the time to
measure charitable giving in America.
Through name changes, different gover-
nance structures and varied funding mod-
els, that initial vision has never wavered.
And having accepted responsibility for
continuing the vision, Curtis embraces
the opportunities inherent to the title of
chair. The Foundation is on a good path,
he said, one that has both continued the
unprecedented legacy of Giving USA and
that will expand its reach into the future.
Honoring that past to help inform the
future will also enable him to pass the
torch of leadership with confidence when
the time comes, he said.
W. Keith Curtis, Chair of Giving USA
Foundation

6. 6 Giving USA Spotlight November 2015
Celebrating Service to Philanthropy
2010
total giving
$288.16B
2007
total giving hits major peak
$311.06B
2006
Warren Buffett
announces his
multi-year plan to
donate more
than $30 billion
to the Gates
Foundation
2006-07
Legislation
requires all
nonprofit
organizations
to file tax
returns and
redesigns IRS
Form 990
2008
Philanthropic support
begins to address
climate change
2008
Social entrepreneurship
becomes popular and
venture philanthropy
takes on a new meaning
2009
In-kind
donations, less
affected by
recessions,
become more
popular among
corporations
2008-09
Total giving
declines 8.0%
(inflation-
adjusted)
during the
heart of the
Great
Recession
$288.16B
2014
total giving hits all time high
$358.38B
2012
total giving surpasses pre-recession high
$329.32B
2010
Haitian earthquake
elevates the role of
social media and
texting in giving
2011
Largest cash gift ever
to a museum: $800
million from the
Walton Family
Foundation to
establish Crystal
Bridges
2010
Bill and Melinda
Gates and Warren
Buffett introduce
The Giving Pledge
2011
200,000 organizations
lose tax-exempt
status for failure to
file IRS Form 990
2012
The annual
#GivingTuesday
social media event
begins
2013
Total online
giving grows
by 13.5
percent
2015
Giving USA
celebrates its
60th year
Acknowledgement
All data and comments are drawn from Giving
USA as published in the year cited. Amounts are
current dollars for the year cited. Timeline
developed by Indiana University Lilly Family School
of Philanthropy and Giving USA Foundation™.
2012
Largest gift from an
individual: $1.52
billion from Warren
Buffet to the Gates
Foundation
60 Consecutive Editions:
Unmatched Data Integrity and
Value to the Sector
Giving USA has maintained its rigorous research
standards over seven decades; currently, each annual
report provides data about:
▶▶ Sources of giving—estimates of charitable donations
from American individuals, bequests, foundations and
corporations;
▶▶ Uses of giving—estimates of charitable donations made
to nine different categories of charitable organizations:
—— Religion
—— Education
—— Human Services
—— Foundations
—— Health
—— Public-Society Benefit
—— Arts/Culture/Humanities
—— International Affairs
—— Environment/Animals
2014 contributions: $358.38 billion by source
(in billions of dollars - all figures are rounded)
Corporations
$17.77
Individuals
$258.51
Foundations
$53.97
Bequests
$28.13 5%
72%
15%
8%
2014 contributions: $358.38 billion by type of recipient organization
(in billions of dollars - all figures are rounded)
Religion
$114.90
Education
$54.62
Human services
$42.10
Health
$30.37
Public-society benefit
$26.29
International affairs
$15.10
Arts, culture, and humanities
$17.23
Environment/animals
$10.50 (3%) Gifts to individuals
$6.42 (2%)
Gifts to
foundations
$41.62
32%
15%
12%
12%
8%
7%
5%
4%

7. 7 Giving USA Spotlight November 2015
Celebrating Service to Philanthropy
Perhaps of greatest significance, Giving USA has been
and will be a critical touchstone on the role philanthro-
py plays in society. According to Pasic, “as philanthropy
increasingly is called upon to play an even bigger role in
the future, there is an even greater need for knowledge
that can inform and inspire donors, fundraisers and
policymakers, and perhaps inspire more giving as well.”
Knowing who donates to charity, and the factors
having an impact on giving over time as well as in a given
year, are critical data for nonprofits as they contemplate
fundraising campaigns.
Melissa Brown, associate director of research and man-
aging editor of Giving USA from 2001 to 2010, offered
insightful perspective to those who question the value of
national giving data: “Nearly every new board member
believes corporations and foundations give the bulk of
charitable dollars. Giving USA proves that at least since
1956, the vast majority of charitable gift dollars are from
living donors. Plus, living donors arrange bequests and
now determine grants from family foundations.
“Giving USA data demonstrate that nonprofits must
invest in qualified fundraising staff,” she added. “Board
members need knowledgeable experts on their teams to
help with the planning, training and asking that leads to
long-run financial sustainability.”
Another endorsement of Giving USA comes from Carl G.
Hamm, deputy director of development and external
affairs for the Saint Louis Art Museum: “Each summer,
the philanthropic world eagerly anticipates the annual
release of Giving USA. Thanks to The Giving Institute,
wepractitionerscanshareinthisbenchmarkingmoment
together, ponder trends in giving across the charitable
sector and contemplate how we might modify our fund-
raising programs for success in the year ahead. Over the
years, it has become an invaluable resource for the ful-
fillment of philanthropic good in our country.”
”GIVING USA HAS BECOME ONE OF THE MOST
IMPORTANT GUIDES TO FUNDRAISING IN ALL OF
THE PROFESSION,” SAID AFP’S WATT. “IT’S NOT
JUST A LOOK BACK AT THE PAST YEAR, THOUGH
THE HISTORICAL DATA IT PROVIDES IS CRUCIAL. IT’S
ALSO A PLATFORM FOR IDENTIFYING TRENDS AND
PROVIDING ANALYSIS FOR THE YEARS AHEAD.
GIVING USA HAS BECOME A ‘MUST-HAVE’ FOR
EVERY FUNDRAISER’S SHELF.”

8. 8 Giving USA Spotlight November 2015
Celebrating Service to Philanthropy
Still Here—and Better than Ever—
after 80 Years
In 2015, beer is not only available in cans, those cans are
made of modern materials like titanium (with no church
key required). Families can still enjoy a rousing game of
Monopoly—but in one of several versions, including
digital (passing “Go” still gets you $200, just like in
1935). And, night baseball is still with us, even at
Chicago’s Wrigley Field (where the lights came on in
1988 and ivy continues to grace the outfield wall).
The point is, classics remain so over time, but evolve as
needed while maintaining what made them classic in
the first place. Since their start, two different classics,
The Giving Institute and the annual Giving USA reports,
have evolved as needed so charitable organizations are
always provided time-tested ethical fundraising coun-
sel, up-to-the-minute research and insight, and other
services philanthropies need to succeed. While we don’t
know what the world will look like 80 years from now,
our hope is that we will not only still be here, but we will
still be relevant, still evolving, and still classic.
Researched and written at
Annual report on philanthropy
for the year 2014
GIVING USA 2015
2015

9. 9 Giving USA Spotlight November 2015
Celebrating Service to Philanthropy
Reflections on the Whys and
Ways of Membership
Henry “Hank” Goldstein, CFRE, who
chaired Giving USA Foundation between
2004 and 2005, and now heads Giving
Institute member organization The Oram
Group, can trace his lineage with both
groups to the early 1950s, when Harold L.
Oram hired him as a fundraising consultant.
Goldstein said recently that Oram wanted
to be a part of what was then the American
Association of Fund-Raising Counsel
(AAFRC) for more than one reason.
Not only did the association represent the
highest standards of ethics and profes-
sionalism in nonprofit fundraising, he
said, Oram felt its member firms were,
frankly, an exclusive group who could
open doors just by being able to rub
elbows with their leaders. As if that
weren’t enough, he added, there was an
additional appeal: Once you were in, you
were in; member firms weren’t required
to hew to a specific mindset or bent.
In fact, the staff and clients of The Oram
Group, he said, were most assuredly differ-
ent than one might expect during that era.
Goldstein was impressed that The Oram
Group had female executives as early as
the 1940s, and a female African-American
vice president in the ’50s. “Our politics,
our clients, our work and our outside
interests were—and are—proudly left of
center,” he said. “Our staff was, to say the
least, really bright and totally loopy. When
I came to the firm, three of our 19 employ-
ees were in Mensa, and they were the
nuttiest of the lot. But AAFRC accepted
us and our eccentric staff.”
While Harold Oram was at the helm, his
namesake firm remained a member, and
he even held the post of treasurer in the
1970s, a job he loved, according to
Goldstein. There was a break in member-
ship, however, after Oram retired in
1978—the staff convinced the firm’s new
head, Goldstein, to resign from the
AAFRC, since they didn’t share Oram’s
passion for the group.
But when those dissenters left the firm in
the early 1990s, Goldstein promptly re-
upped. “I attended my first meeting,” he
said, “and truly, they were still discussing
the same old stuff.” He saw many of the
same faces, still debating the same topics,
he said, but in a new context: emerging
professionalism, virtual technology, the
cost of doing business and the eternal
question of how to get the best and bright-
est into this noble work.
As he recalled it, “Nothing, absolutely
nothing had changed. But everything had.”
Visit Hank’s blog, http://orammatters.
blogspot.com, for more of his reminisces.
Henry “Hank” Goldstein, CFRE,
former chair of Giving USA Foundation

10. 10 Giving USA Spotlight November 2015
Celebrating Service to Philanthropy
‘No Internet? No Problem,’
Recalls Former Giving USA
Editor
Times and technology have changed since
Ann Kaplan began editing Giving USA in
1991.Ofcourse,thatwasbeforetheInternet
and the development of NTEE, the official
coding system used to categorize non-
profit organizations.
Compiling Giving USA required a lot of
legwork—annually she would take the
subway from her office to the U.S.
Government Printing Office Bookstore to
buy a copy of The Economic Report of the
President so she could use some of the
tables. That was the quickest way to
obtain the information.
At that time, surveys of organizations
were completed on paper and delivered
via postal mail and fax machine. Data
from the nonprofit tax form 990 were not
yet digitized.
As a young researcher, Kaplan dived
eagerly into her role, raising awareness
among the press, public and policymakers
about the state of charitable giving. She
attended a meeting at the U.S. Treasury
about tax policy and made inroads with
the organizers of the White House
Council on Philanthropy.
Kaplan recalled that “when I needed
advice, there was an outpouring of inter-
est and support from scholars whose
work I had read. So many people were
invested in the excellence of Giving USA.”
She served as Giving USA’s research
director and editor through the 2000
report, and is now director of the
Voluntary Support of Education Program
at the Council for Aid to Education. Not
only has her career remained firmly
invested in philanthropy and charitable
giving research, she is still part of Giving
USA, as a member of its Advisory Council
on Methodology.
“I continue to research philanthropy and
deliver the results to fundraising practi-
tioners,” she said. “Today, I enjoy being
part of the Giving USA Advisory Council
on Methodology. It has been an intellec-
tual, professional and social adventure.
And the adventure continues.”
Ann Kaplan, former editor of
Giving USA

11. 11 Giving USA Spotlight November 2015
Celebrating Service to Philanthropy
GIVING INSTITUTE MEMBER FIRMS
Abila
Alexander Haas
The Alford Group Inc.
Aly Sterling Philanthropy
Arnoult Associates Inc.
Arthur Alley Associated
Benefactor Group
Bentz Whaley Flessner
Blackbaud
Campbell Company
Carlson Fund Raising
Carlton Company
CCS Fundraising
Compton Fundraising Consultants
The Covenant Group
Cramer Associates
The Curtis Group
Dini Spheris
DonorDrive
DonorPerfect
DonorSearch
Dunham+Company
Evans Consulting Group
Global Advancement, LLC
Graham-Pelton Consulting, Inc.
Grenzebach Glier Associates
Harris Connect, LLC
Heaton Smith Group
The Hodge Group
Jeffrey Byrne + Associates, Inc.
Johnson, Grossnickle Associates
KCI-Ketchum Canada, Inc.
The Lapin Group
Marts Lundy, Inc.
The Monument Group
Oram Group, Inc.
The Phoenix Philanthropy Group
Plenty Consulting
Prasad Consulting Research
Richner Richner, LLC
Ruotolo Associates, Inc.
SofTrek
Sterling Associates
Ter Moten Watkins Brandt, LLC
Winkler Group
The Yunker Group, Inc.
GIVING USA FOUNDATION™ OFFICERS
W. Keith Curtis, The Curtis Group, Chair
Aggie Sweeney, CFRE, Campbell Company, Vice Chair
Richard J. Dunham, Dunham+Company, Secretary/Treasurer
L. Gregg Carlson, Carlson Fund Raising, Immediate Past Chair
GIVING USA FOUNDATION™ DIRECTORS
Leo P. Arnoult, CFRE, Arnoult Associates, Inc.
Joshua Birkholz, Bentz Whaley Flessner
Jeffrey Byrne, Jeffrey Byrne + Associates
John Glier, Grenzebach Glier and Associates
Ted Grossnickle, Grossnickle + Associates
Rachel Hutchisson, Blackbaud
Christopher K. Looney, CCS Fundraising
Laura MacDonald, Benefactor Group
M. Anne Murphy, CFRE, Dini Spheris
Sarah Williams, Marts Lundy
THE GIVING INSTITUTE OFFICERS
Jeffrey Byrne, Jeffrey Byrne + Associates, Inc., Chair
Rachel Hutchisson, Blackbaud, 1st Vice Chair
Sarah Howard, CFRE, Compton Fundraising Consultants,
2nd Vice Chair
Derek Alley, Arthur Alley Associated, Secretary
Peter J. Fissinger, CFRE, Campbell Company, Treasurer
David H. King, CFRE, Alexander Haas, Immediate Past Chair
Written and edited by:
Sharon Bond, good dog PR
Timeline Infographic by:
Benefactor Group
GIVING USA Spotlight is published by
Giving USA Foundation™
225 W. Wacker Drive, Suite 650
Chicago, IL 60606-3396
www.givingusa.org
©2015 Giving USA Foundation™
ISSN 0889-3793
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