ICF featured in Hudson Institute's “The Index of Global Philanthropy 2006”

The Hudson Institute released its first Index of Global Philanthropy— an 82 page report that demonstrates how Americans are on the forefront of philanthropic involvement across the globe, detailing the sources of U.S. private international giving, and demonstrating that the most effective philanthropic bridge between industrialized countries and developing nations is built not solely on government foreign aid, but on private donations, volunteerism, public-private partnerships, and private investment.

The report shows that in 2004 U.S. private giving to poor countries came to $71 billion dollars, a sum more than triple the U.S. government's foreign aid and nearly as large as the $80 billion given away by all donor governments combined. In fact, U.S. private assistance from foundations, corporations, private and voluntary organizations, universities and colleges and individual remittances, made up 72% of U.S. total economic engagement with developing countries in 2004. Of the $71 billion, $47 billion was sent back as individual remittances; in other words, 48% of total U.S. economic engagement with developing countries came from remittances. By comparison, U.S. official development assistance amounted to only $19.7 billion in 2004, accounting for only 20% of the country's total economic engagement overseas.

As part of the Hudson Institute's findings, ICF was featured as one of two community foundations working across-borders promoting expanded cross-border philanthropy through its Ties that Bind Us initiative (for more information regarding the initiative, please click here).

The goal of the Hudson Institute's Index is to spread the message about the central role that organized philanthropy can play in reaching beyond traditional development assistance privded by government towards providing new and innovative ways to support expanded civic engagement and poverty alleviation throughout the world.

To access a complete copy of the report please visit www.global-prosperity.org or to get more information on ICF's Ties that Bind Us initiative, click here.