Abstract
The purpose of this report is to assist the philanthropic community in selecting and using the large and growing collection of publicly available indexes and rankings that measure a variety of social conditions and challenges that concern funders in the United States. Part I explores the history of such rankings and seeks to explain their seemingly wide appeal. Part II, is a curated and categorized collection of indexes and rankings that we think are particularly useful to funders. We believe this is the first curated overview of available indexes and rankings with a funder audience in mind. Part III draws upon interviews with grant makers across the United States and offers observations about how the philanthropic community uses indexes and rankings. We also offer related recommendations for funders.