Donors Are Giving Less Than in 2001, Poll Finds

While 86 percent of Americans said they had contributed to charities in the past 12 months, many

donated smaller sums than they did in 2001, according to the results of a new poll.

Fourteen percent of respondents said they contributed $500 or more, the survey found, compared with the 24 percent in a 2001 poll who reported donating that much. The survey was commissioned by Vertis, a direct-marketing and advertising company in Baltimore.

The findings were based on telephone interviews with 2,000 randomly selected adults conducted in April and May. People were asked about their giving to all charitable causes except support of a church, synagogue, mosque, or other religious institution. Because the 2002 survey used a slightly different format, this year’s survey results were compared with those from 2001, the first year the survey was conducted.

Two-thirds of the people surveyed said they anticipated volunteering or donating nonmonetary items in the next 12 months. People born between 1946 and 1976 were most likely to say they would donate goods or services, with 70 percent saying they intended to make nonmonetary contributions.

Health-related organizations continued to be the most popular cause: 52 percent said they supported such groups, about the same as in 2001.

The report also found that 16 percent of all respondents said they received information from charities via the Internet. Twenty-six percent of people ages 18 to 24 did so, but the percentage dropped with older people. For instance, 11 percent of people 56 to 71 used the Internet, while 7 percent of those 72 and older did so.

Free copies of the report, “Vertis Customer Focus 2003: Direct Marketing for the Nonprofit Sector,” can be obtained from Scott Marden, director of marketing research, Vertis, 250 West Pratt Street, Baltimore, Md. 21201; (978) 388-2492.

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