The Ups and Downs of Modern Charitable Giving

Having come through a very challenging year in which many families faced unexpected hardship, charitable giving was through the roof, while fewer people did the giving.

The Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University finds that only half of US households donated to charity, a considerable drop from 20 years ago 66% of American households made donations. In 2018, the last year the study looked at, it was down to 49.6%. And the average age of people demonstrating their philanthropy is getting higher.

But the real story, suggests Amy Lampi, the President of the Greater Houston Chapter of the Association of Professional Fundraisers, is in the numbers. “Americans gave $471 billion dollars to charity in 2020, which was a 5.1% increase of 2019,” she tells KTRH News. Even in tough times, behind masks locked inside, people reached into their pockets to share their good fortune. And most of that giving came from people, not companies. 69% of that more than $470 billion windfall was individuals, 19% from foundations, 9% from bequests, 4% from corporations.

Lampi says there is indeed a generational component to philanthropic giving. Millennials, those under 40, are looking for some more experiential. “An ability and need to connect with philanthropic organizations, and really leaning in toward multi-channel fundraising.” She says a savvy approach to social media and digital campaigns is key to making the right connections. The Lilly survey, for example, doesn’t take into account crowd-funding charities, which attract higher levels of younger demos.

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photo: Getty Images


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