On Giving Tuesday, 2018, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes II presents the KC United youth football organization with a $5,000 donation on behalf of the DICK'S Sporting Goods Sports Matter program. (Colin Braley/AP Images for DICK'S Sporting Goods)
The Chronicle of Philanthropy has long kept tabs on charitable giving, but recently the publication unveiled a new ranking, which reveals that how we give and who is giving has been radically upended in America.
Stacy Palmer, the editor of the Chronicle of Philanthropy, discusses the current trends in giving and what they reveal about our country - including the growing economic divide in the wake of the Great Recession. And she offers some advice about how to choose causes that make a real difference.
Three Takeaways:
- Over the past decade, there has been a 10% drop in the share of Americans who give to charity. Fewer of us are giving, following the Great Recession, according to Palmer.
- Charities which have long depended on smaller contributions from middle income donors, such as the United Way Worldwide and the American Cancer Society have experienced deep declines in support.
- Institutions that have tapped into donations from the wealthiest Americans, including hospitals and colleges such as the Mayo Clinic and the University of Nebraska, have been performing particularly well.
More Reading:
- The Chronicle of Philanthropy’s list of “America’s Favorite Charities 2018”.
- A look at “The Wealth Gap in Philanthropy” from the New Yorker.
- More on the broader changes in charitable giving from the Chronicle of Philanthropy.
