How much do Americans give to charity?
One of the most authoritative sources of charitable giving statistics is Giving USA Foundation's Giving USA: The Annual Report on Philanthropy. This report, researched and written by the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University and published by Giving USA Foundation, has been published annually since 1955.
Candid also reports giving by individuals to charity in our U.S. Social Sector dashboard, which includes an infographic showing the amount of funding charities receive by source (individuals, foundations, bequests, corporations, government grants, and earned income).
Total charitable contributions by individuals, corporations, and foundations was an estimated $292 billion according to Giving USA 2018.
See also our related Knowledge Base article:
- How can I learn about researching and cultivating individual donors?
More articles about individual donors
More articles on statistics
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U.S. Social Sector Dashboard
Candid's annually updated website shares key statistics about the organizations, financial flows, and people that make up the social sector in the United States.
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Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University
The mission of the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University is to increase the understanding of philanthropy, improving its practice, and enhancing participation in philanthropy. The Lilly Family School of Philanthropy is moving philanthropy forward in the 21st century. Its cutting-edge programs and initiatives provide nonprofits, donors and scholars with the resources they need to make a difference.
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This agency within the federal Department of the Interior provides a useful roundup of charitable giving statistics and analysis of the data. The webpage includes the 2009 Giving USA pie charts/data on giving by source and by recipient type:
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National Philanthropic Trust
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Provides summary statistics on giving by institutions and individuals and includes information on donor-advised funds, supporting organizations, and other charitable entities.
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Research Projects
Center on Wealth and Philanthropy
Links to previous research projects the Center on Wealth and Philanthropy has conducted related to wealth, giving and social impact.
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IRS - SOI Tax Stats
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Provides data on noncash charitable contributions over the past few years, based on tax-returns.
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IRS Tax Stats
Individual Statistical Tables
Provides tables on itemized deductions, spreadsheets which include cash and noncash contributions.
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Blackbaud Institute
Spotlight: 2023 Trends in Giving
The Blackbaud Institute philanthropic dataset tracks thousands of nonprofit organizations totaling over $50 billion in fundraising revenue globally. This report spotlights a five year look at giving, showing the durability of generosity sparked during the pandemic, as well as the top three highest performing subsectors for overall and online giving in 2023.