Share of Americans Giving to Charity Drops to 73%, a New Low

The share of Americans who have given to a charity during the past 12 months dropped to a historic low of 73 percent, according to new survey data from Gallup, exceeding the previous low of 79 percent recorded in 2009 during the Great Recession.

The drop occurred across all household income levels, according to the survey.

The last time Gallup conducted the survey was in 2017. Since then, households making less than $40,000 have seen the greatest decrease in the rate of giving, from 73 percent in 2017 to 56 percent in 2020. Declines have also been also seen among households with $40,000 to $99,999 in annual income, dropping from 90 percent to 78 percent, and households earning $100,000 or more, which fell from 92 percent to 87 percent.

The study reinforces other data suggesting that fewer people are giving to charity in recent years. The overall survey results had a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

The 2020 Gallup survey was conducted April 14 to 28, just as Americans were adapting to sudden, drastic changes in their daily lives, and many were being laid off. Although the survey asked Americans about their giving during the previous 12 months, Gallup researchers said it was possible many respondents focused on their most recent giving.The study also notes that there are seasonal patterns in responses about giving, “with higher estimates of charitable activity when the question is asked in December than in other months of the year,” and that the 2017 tax law also may have affected giving.

The survey found about 30 percent of Americans have assisted coronavirus relief efforts in some way. Upper-income Americans were much more likely to have donated to or volunteered at an organization providing coronavirus relief efforts. Among households with annual incomes exceeding $100,000, 43 percent had either volunteered or contributed to a Covid-19 response effort. That number stood at 27 percent for households making $40,000 to $99,999 annually, and 20 percent for households making less than $40,000.

Most Americans, 66 percent, do not plan to change the amount they give to charity next year. But 25 percent said they plan to increase their donations — down from 27 percent last year. Seven percent plan to decrease their charitable donations.

The share of Americans who contributed to a religious organization in the past 12 months also dropped to a new low of 44 percent, exceeding previous low of 52 percent recorded in both 2008 and 2017.