The measure of generosity: how much money Americans donated last year and where did it go
charitable donations in the U.S. rose to over $390 billion last year, with the amount being nearly 3% higher than the one registered in 2015.
72%, the equivalent of $281,86 billion, of the total donations came from citizens, according to “Giving USA 2017: The Annual Report on Philanthropy for the Year 2016”.
“Individual giving continued its remarkable role in American philanthropy in a year that included a turbulent election season that reflected a globally resurgent populism,” said Amir Pasic, Ph.D., the Eugene R. Tempel Dean of the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.
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“In this context, the absence of a dramatic change in giving is perhaps remarkable, but it also demonstrates the need for us to better understand the multitude of individual and collective decisions that comprise our record of national giving,” he added.
Individual donations were followed by foundations and organisations, which donated $59,28 billion (15% of the total), while 8% of the total, $30,36 billion, were donated as part of wills/inheritances.
Corporations were least generous, donating only $18,55 billion (5%).
Regarding the areas where most financial donations went, the report shows that religion received 32% of the total ($122,94 billion). The amount exceeds the one directed towards education (15% – $59,77 billions) and social services (12% – $46,8 billion).
The smallest donations were directed to environmental or animal protection projects (3% – $11,05 billions) and directly to several persons (2% – $7,12 billion).
Each of these categories registered higher sums than those from 2015, except for donations directed straight towards individuals.
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