Explore Our Grantmaking

Annual Reports

Financial Information

In 2010, the Foundation paid out $243.8 million in grants and program-related investments to organizations and individuals in the United States and around the world. Actual cash paid out varies from year to year depending on payment schedules of larger grants.

MacArthur's charitable administrative expenses totaled $30 million in 2010, about 10.8 percent of total charitable expenses.

Annual Grantmaking, 1978–2010 (in millions)

  0 $50M $100M $150M $200M $250M $300M  
2010
$243,776,078
2009
$298,527,310
2008
$253,226,684
2007
$267,232,035
2006
$234,949,456
2005
$194,621,855
2004
$216,573,776
2003
$203,253,166
2002
$209,916,023
2001
$177,945,326
2000
$170,522,738
1999
$172,582,350
1998
$130,519,437
1997
$166,475,932
1996
$148,616,138
1995
$136,743,670
1994
$123,879,275
1993
$135,030,244
1992
$137,232,804
1991
$130,491,197
1990
$121,725,981
1989
$118,861,649
1988
$116,452,920
1987
$109,348,952
1986
$101,935,582
1985
$54,048,491
1984
$65,150,298
1983
$26,375,988
1982
$22,283,124
1981
$31,818,060
1980
$41,703,213
1979
$2,263,938
1978
$50,000

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Program Budgets

Program budgets are approved by the Foundation Board of Directors. Working pursuant to these budgets, the Foundation approves grants and makes expenditures during the year. We share these budgets so that you can better understand the Foundation's priorities.

Budget by Program, 2010

International Programs

U.S. Programs*

Media, Culture, and Special Initiatives

*In addition to grants, U.S. Programs also authorized $12.4 million in program-related investments.

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Investment Summary

As of December 31, 2010, MacArthur's assets totaled $5.67 billion. The Foundation's investment portfolio had a return of 17.02 percent in 2010 net of investment management costs.

The Foundation invests for the long term with the objective of earning a real rate of return, net of expenses, sufficient to fund its charitable giving and operations. The underlying principles of MacArthur's investment approach may be summarized as follows:

  • The Foundation maintains a broadly diversified portfolio with allocation to a variety of asset classes, both public and private.
  • The broad diversification, combined with rigorous analytical research, is intended to enable the Foundation to manage risk.
  • The Foundation seeks to achieve strong net returns over time at a cost comparable to other institutions with similar asset allocations.

Total Assets and Rate of Return, 2001–2010

2001 $4,215,930,831 -4.45%
2002 $3,836,621,632 -4.79%
2003 $4,530,410,640 25.98%
2004 $5,034,822,738 17.01%
2005 $5,492,269,240 15.47%
2006 $6,178,196,933 18.04%
2007 $7,052,165,312 19.37%
2008 $5,014,059,259 -26.97%
2009 $5,237,796,061 12.26%
2010 $5,666,612,008 17.02%

Average rate of return, 2001–2010, 7.66%

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