Despite these dramatic gains, increases in staffing among the nation's grantmakers failed to keep pace with the boom in new foundation creation over the past decade. Many more foundations are bringing on staff, often to help manage grants budgets that have expanded in the soaring economic climate of the late 1990s.
New staff can also provide professional expertise in developing programs and selecting recipients.
The report also includes information on foundation boards of trustees. A few of the very largest U.S. foundations employ more than 100 staff members to develop projects, review and investigate proposals, and work with the public. Still, this represented more than double the 12 foundations reporting staff of this size in 1991. This proportion declined steadily for foundations with smaller endowments. This finding suggests a willingness among funders in the West and South to bring on staff earlier in their development.