The Ways We Give

Charitable giving trends have changed in recent years.Here’s the latest on where people are giving – and how.

Americans are generous. That fact remains the same, even though the ways we give and the causes we help may change from year to year.

As we settle into 2019, it can be helpful to see what trends have shifted in the last year and how charitable giving has changed, especially in this era of social activism and with the rising number of natural disasters in our world.

From wildfires and floods to earthquakes and hurricanes, disaster relief has been an important part of the giving landscape over the last year. The sociopolitical climate has also influenced the amount given to causes close to people’s hearts.

If you seek a place where your dollars will make an impact, communities hard hit by disasters continue to suffer and need help long after the media has moved on. Social causes meaningful to you always present an appropriate arena for financial support. Causes in the forefront of the last 12 months are primarily human services-related, with civil rights, women’s issues, and benefits for veterans and active military members leading the pack.

Another trend holding strong is educational giving. People love to contribute to their alma maters or to their children’s schools. Charitable giving in the health-care sector has also increased in the past few years, with donations to finding cures for breast cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease on the rise.

Religious giving, on the other hand, has experienced a sharp decline as baby boomers retire and generation Xers and millennials, who do not typically prioritize religious giving, make up a growing force in charitable giving.

Charitable athletic events and boosterthons have also declined in popularity, but online benefit events, such as crowdfunding and other internet campaigns, have become effective at encouraging people to give in recent years.

Tribute gifts and monthly giving programs remain viable ways for people to fund causes important to them.

An interesting trend to watch is that of giving by corporations. Potential changes in the tax code prompted executives in larger companies to raise their giving by 8 percent last year, an increase of over $5 billion. This trend is set to continue through 2019, and nonprofits benefiting from these relationships will likely see a substantial rise in financial donations in the upcoming fiscal year.

CHRISTY PHILLIPPE