United Philanthropy Forum’s 2023 Key Metrics for Philanthropy-Serving Organizations report provides comprehensive benchmarking data and analyses on the finances, membership, services and programs, operations, and governance of regional and national philanthropy-serving organizations (PSOs). This is a resource for Forum members only. Nonmembers, funders, and other organizations may access the Key Findings and Executive Summary.
Highlights
PSO Board Diversity
PSO Boards Are Growing More Diverse. Fifty-one (51) percent of PSO board members identify as people of color—up slightly from the prior year and up markedly from the 33 percent share reported as recently as 2018.
PSO Finances & Operations
Most PSOs are positive about the near-term economic outlook for their organizations. Over two- thirds of all PSOs (69 percent) indicated that their budgets would be higher in 2023 compared to 2022.
PSO Membership Renewal & Growth
PSOs report high renewal rates. National and regional PSOs both reported a median 93 percent membership renewal rate. Among their members at year’s end, 89 percent were renewals from the previous year, 1 percent were members that returned to membership, and 9 percent represented new members.
PSO Services, Programs & Activities
PSOs have returned to hosting their conferences in person. Unlike during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, no PSOs responding to the 2023 survey anticipated conducting a fully virtual conference in 2023 or 2024, and only a couple of PSOs anticipated offering a hybrid option.
PSO Collaboration & Partnership
PSOs collaborate regularly with each other. Fully 98 percent of all PSOs indicated that they had collaborated with one or more PSOs in the past year.
