By Marty Michaels

Grant making in 2007 by more than 1,300 of the nation’s largest foundations rose 13.2 percent over the previous year, reaching $21.6-billion, according to a new survey by the Foundation Center.

This growth occurred despite signs, particularly in the latter half of the year, that presaged the current recession, says the report on the survey.

Giving to eight of 10 major subject areas increased in 2007, with grant making for environmental and animal-welfare causes exhibiting the most growth — up 28.5 percent over 2006 figures.

The other areas that posted increases were human services (up 22.2 percent), science and technology (15.5 percent), public affairs and societal benefit (also 15.5 percent), education (14.8 percent), the social sciences (14 percent), health (11.7 percent), and religion (9.7 percent).

The two areas that recorded moderate decreases were international affairs, development, and peace (down 4.3 percent) and the arts and culture (1.5 percent).

Of the $21.6-billion awarded, education and health received the largest percentage of money — 23 percent each, representing nearly half of all grant dollars.

Project vs. Operating

One-half of grant dollars went to support specific programs, while 19 percent went to general support, and 17 percent went to capital projects. (The remaining shares supported research and student-aid programs.)

Among the other key findings:

In 2007, the foundations awarded a record 188 grants of $10-million or more. And of the 10 largest awards, eight were made by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, primarily for health and international-development programs. Despite the modest decline in support for international-affairs projects, overall grant making for international activities — which cuts across the other nine subject areas and includes grants to both U.S.-based international programs and overseas recipients — reached an all-time high, accounting for 23.4 percent of grant dollars in 2007. When giving to specific populations was taken into account, grants to benefit economically disadvantaged people received the largest share of grant dollars, approximately $5.3-billion. The total number of grants awarded by the sampled foundations rose 7.1 percent, from 140,484 to 150,392.

The report analyzes grants of $10,000 or more awarded by 1,339 of the largest private and community foundations in the United States in 2007, accounting for roughly half of all giving by American foundations.

In March the Foundation Center plans to release estimates of 2008 grant making by the nation’s more than 72,000 private and community foundations. That report, “Foundation Growth and Giving Estimates,” will also examine the prognosis for foundation grant making this year.

A summary of the report, “Foundation Giving Trends (2009 Edition),” is available at the center’s Web site. The complete report is available for $45, or as part of the center’s Foundations Today Series, which is available for $95.