Giving and Volunteering Is Up, Says New Study
By Emily Haynes
Senior Editor, Nonprofit Intelligence
March 21, 2019 | Read Time: 2 minutes
Title: “Charitable Giving in the USA 2019“
Organization: Charities Aid Foundation
Summary: Seventy percent of Americans participated in charitable activities in 2018, either by volunteering or donating money, food, or other goods, according to a new study. Participation rates were up 8 percent from 2017. This increase was largely due to more Americans saying that they donated money to a church or religious organization or contributed food or goods to a nonprofit or religious group.
In an online survey of a nationally representative sample of almost 1,200 Americans, the Charities Aid Foundation collected data on giving behavior and trends in the United States. The study found that 76 percent of Americans age 55 or older took part in charitable activities last year.
Researchers also found that more than one-third of the population volunteered in 2018, a slight increase from 2017. Volunteers were most likely to aid religious organizations and nonprofits that serve children, the elderly, the poor, or people who are homeless. Men were more likely than women to report that they volunteered.
The median amount that people reported giving in the past 12 months was $100, the same as in last year’s survey. But the average amount they donated increased by $79 in 2018, to $461. This is likely a sign that both the number of Americans who gave and the number of high-dollar contributions grew, according to the report’s authors.
Among the other findings:
- Cash and online giving were tied as the most popular ways to donate in 2018; 39 percent of respondents said they gave in cash and 39 percent online.
- 53 percent of respondents said they contributed because they care about the cause, which was the same reason given most often in 2017.
- 48 percent participated in a civic activity like signing a petition or taking part in a demonstration in 2018.
- Survey participants said they would be most likely to donate to charity in the future if they had more money or if they knew how their money would be spent.
