1. Giving USA 2015 The Annual Report on Philanthropy for the Year 2014

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Giving USA 2015
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Giving USA 2015
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Giving USA 2015
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5. Giving USA 2015 The Annual Report on Philanthropy for the Year 2014
Researched and written by
Option 1

6. Option 2

7. Overview What is Giving USA?
2014 contributions, by source and recipient type
Rates of change for giving in last two years, by source and recipient type
Trends in total giving
Economic trends and giving
Trends in giving by source
Trends in giving by recipient type
Trends in volunteering
Trends in number of nonprofit organizations

8. What is Giving USA?
The longest running, annual report on U.S. charitable giving
Estimates for:
Sources of giving
Amounts received by type of organization
Published by Giving USA FoundationTM
Begun in 1956 by the American Association of Fundraising Counsel, now The Giving Institute
Made possible by contributions from The Giving Institute member firms, foundations, and other donors
Researched and written by the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy

9. 2014 contributions: $358.38 billion by source (in billions of dollars – all figures are rounded)
Giving by individuals comprised 72 percent of total giving in
Giving by foundations—which includes grants made by independent, community, and operating foundations—amounted to 15 percent of all gifts made in
Giving by bequest accounted for 8 percent of all gifts made in 2014.
Giving by individuals, bequest, and family foundations amounted to an estimated 87 percent of total giving in
Giving by corporations comprised 5 percent of total giving in 2014.

10. 2014 contributions: $ billion by type of recipient organization (in billions of dollars – all figures are rounded)
Religious organizations received the largest share of charitable dollars in 2014, at 32 percent of the total.4
The education subsector received the second-largest share of charitable dollars in 2014, at 15 percent of the total.
Human services organizations received 12 percent of total charitable dollars in 2014, ranking third in total gifts received.
Gifts to independent, community, and operating grantmaking foundations amounted to the fourth-largest share of charitable dollars in 2014, also with 12 percent of the total and just behind human services.
The health subsector received the fifth-largest share of charitable dollars in 2014, at 8 percent of the total.
Public-society benefit organizations received 7 percent of total charitable dollars in 2014, ranking sixth in total gifts received.
The arts, culture, and humanities subsector received the seventh-largest proportion of charitable dollars in 2014, at 5 percent of the total.
Gifts to the international affairs subsector amounted to the eighth-largest share of charitable dollars in 2014, with 4 percent of the total.
Environment/animals organizations received 3 percent of total charitable dollars in 2014, ranking ninth in total gifts received.
Gifts made directly to individuals amounted to 2 percent of total charitable dollars in 2014.

11. Changes in giving by source 2012-2013, 2013-2014, and 2012-2014 (in current dollars)
Note: The two-year change is calculated separately and is not the sum of the changes in the two years.
Total charitable giving increased 1.6 percent in current dollars between 2012 and 2013, and increased 7.1 percent between 2013 and
The two-year change in total charitable giving between 2012 and 2014 is 8.8 percent in current dollars.
Giving by individuals increased 1.5 percent in current dollars between 2012 and This increase precedes an increase of 5.7 percent between 2013 and The cumulative change in current-dollar giving by individuals between 2012 and 2014 is 7.2 percent.
Current-dollar grantmaking by independent, community, and operating foundations increased 7.6 percent between 2012 and This increase precedes an increase in foundation giving of 8.2 percent between 2013 and The cumulative change in current-dollar giving by foundations between 2012 and 2014 is 16.4 percent.6
Giving by bequest declined 1.3 percent in current dollars between 2012 and This decline precedes an increase of 15.5 percent between 2013 and The cumulative change in current-dollar giving by bequest between 2012 and 2014 is 14.0 percent.
Giving by corporations declined 9.2 percent in current dollars between 2012 and This decline precedes an increase of 13.7 percent between 2013 and The cumulative change in current-dollar giving by corporations between 2012 and 2014 is 3.2 percent.

12. Changes in giving by source , , and (in inflation-adjusted dollars, 2014 = $100)
Note: The two-year change is calculated separately and is not the sum of the changes in the two years.
Total charitable giving increased 0.1 percent in inflation-adjusted dollars between 2012 and 2013, and increased 5.4 percent between 2013 and
The two-year change in total charitable giving between 2012 and 2014 is 5.5 percent in inflation-adjusted dollars.
Giving by individuals saw a flat rate of change at 0.0 percent in inflation-adjusted dollars between 2012 and This change precedes an increase of 4.0 percent between 2013 and The cumulative change in inflation-adjusted giving by individuals between 2012 and 2014 is 4.0 percent.
Inflation-adjusted-dollar grantmaking by independent, community, and operating foundations increased 6.0 percent between 2012 and This increase precedes an increase in foundation giving of 6.5 percent between 2013 and The cumulative change in inflation-adjusted giving by foundations between 2013 and 2014 is 12.9 percent.8
Giving by bequest declined 2.7 percent in inflation-adjusted dollars between 2012 and This decline precedes an increase of 13.6 percent between 2013 and The cumulative change in inflation-adjusted giving by bequest between 2012 and 2014 is 10.5 percent.
Giving by corporations declined 10.6 percent in inflation-adjusted dollars between 2012 and This decline precedes an increase of 11.9 percent between 2013 and The cumulative change in inflation-adjusted giving by corporations between 2012 and 2014 is 0.1 percent.

13. Changes in giving by type of recipient organization, , , and (in current dollars)
Note: The two-year change is calculated separately and is not the sum of the changes in the two years.
Giving to religion realized an increase of 6.0 percent in current dollars between 2012 and 2013 and grew 2.5 percent between 2013 and Giving to religion increased 8.6 percent in current dollars between 2012 and
Giving to education increased 8.0 percent in current dollars between 2012 and Between 2013 and 2014, giving to education increased 4.9 percent. The two-year change in giving to education between 2012 and 2014 is an increase of 13.2 percent in current dollars.
Giving to human services increased 1.2 percent in current dollars between 2012 and 2013 and grew 3.6 percent between 2013 and Giving to human services increased 4.8 percent in current dollars between 2012 and 2014.
Giving to foundations increased 2.7 percent in current dollars between 2012 and Between 2013 and 2014, giving to foundations increased 1.8 percent. The two-year change in giving to foundations between 2012 and 2014 is an increase of 4.5 percent in current dollars.
Giving to health realized an increase of 6.0 percent in current dollars between 2012 and 2013 and grew 5.5 percent between 2013 and Giving to health increased 11.8 percent in current dollars between 2012 and 2014.
Giving to the public-society benefit subsector increased 6.6 percent in current dollars between 2012 and Between 2013 and 2014, giving to public-society benefit organizations increased 5.1 percent. The two-year change in giving to public-society benefit organizations between 2012 and 2014 is an increase of 12.0 percent in current dollars.
Giving to the arts, culture, and humanities subsector increased 3.5 percent in current dollars between 2012 and Between 2013 and 2014, giving to arts, culture, and humanities organizations increased 9.2 percent. The two-year change in giving to arts, culture, and humanities organizations between 2012 and 2014 is an increase of 13.0 percent in current dollars.
Giving to international affairs declined 8.4 percent in current dollars between 2012 and 2013 and declined 2.0 percent between 2013 and Giving to international affairs declined 10.3 percent in current dollars between 2012 and 2014.
Giving to environmental and animal organizations increased 5.0 percent in current dollars between 2012 and 2013 and grew 7.0 percent between 2013 and Giving to environmental and animal organizations increased 12.4 percent in current dollars between 2012 and 2014.

14. Changes in giving by type of recipient organization, , , and (in inflation-adjusted dollars, 2014 = $100)
Note: The two-year change is calculated separately and is not the sum of the changes in the two years.
Giving to religion realized an increase of 4.5 percent in inflation-adjusted dollars between 2012 and 2013 and grew 0.9 percent between 2013 and Giving to religion increased 5.4 percent in inflation-adjusted dollars between 2012 and
Giving to education increased 6.4 percent in inflation-adjusted dollars between 2012 and Between 2013 and 2014, giving to education increased 3.2 percent. The two-year change in giving to education between 2012 and 2014 is an increase of 9.8 percent in inflation-adjusted dollars.
Giving to human services realized a flat rate of change of -0.2 percent in inflation-adjusted dollars between 2012 and 2013 and grew 1.9 percent between 2013 and Giving to human services grew 1.7 percent in inflation-adjusted dollars between 2012 and 2014.
Giving to foundations increased 1.3 percent in inflation-adjusted dollars between 2012 and Between 2013 and 2014, giving to foundations saw a flat rate of change at 0.1 percent. The two-year change in giving to foundations between 2012 and 2014 is an increase of 1.4 percent in inflation-adjusted dollars.
Giving to health realized an increase of 4.5 percent in inflation-adjusted dollars between 2012 and 2013 and grew 3.8 percent between 2013 and Giving to health grew 8.5 percent in inflation-adjusted dollars between 2012 and 2014.
Giving to the public-society benefit subsector increased 5.0 percent in inflation-adjusted dollars between 2012 and Between 2013 and 2014, giving to public-society benefit organizations increased 3.4 percent. The two-year change in giving to public-society benefit organizations between 2012 and 2014 is an increase of 8.6 percent in inflation-adjusted dollars.
Giving to the arts, culture, and humanities subsector increased 2.0 percent in inflation-adjusted dollars between 2012 and Between 2013 and 2014, giving to arts, culture, and humanities organizations increased 7.4 percent. The two-year change in giving to arts, culture, and humanities organizations between 2012 and 2014 is an increase of 9.6 percent in inflation-adjusted dollars.
Giving to international affairs declined 9.7 percent in inflation-adjusted dollars between 2012 and 2013 and declined 3.6 percent between 2013 and Giving to international affairs declined 13.0 percent in inflation-adjusted dollars between 2012 and 2014.
Giving to environmental and animal organizations increased 3.5 percent in inflation-adjusted dollars between 2012 and 2013 and grew 5.3 percent between 2013 and Giving to environmental and animal organizations increased 9.0 percent in inflation-adjusted dollars between 2012 and 2014.

15. Total giving, 1974-2014 (in billions of dollars)
Total giving reached $ billion in 2014, a 7.1 percent increase in current dollars and a 5.4 percent increase in inflation-adjusted dollars from
Total charitable giving has increased in current dollars every year since 1974, with the exception of three years that saw declines: 1987, 2008, and The average rate of change in total giving in current dollars since 1974 is 6.8 percent, making the rate of change between 2013 and 2014 higher than average.
Adjusted for inflation, total charitable giving has declined eight times since The average rate of change in total giving in inflation-adjusted dollars since 1974 is 2.5 percent, making the inflation-adjusted rate of change between 2013 and 2014 higher than average.
Since 1974, the average annual inflation-adjusted rate of change in total giving in the five years following each recession was 3.0 percent. For the years 2010 to 2014, the average annual inflation-adjusted rate of change in total giving was 3.6 percent.
The year 2009 was the last year of the Great Recession. For the years 2009 to 2014, the rate of change in total inflation-adjusted giving was 18.2 percent. The worst recovery period for charitable giving between the last year of a recession and the fifth year following a recession was in 1975–1980, when inflation-adjusted giving rose 11.2 percent. In fact, the period 2009–2014 is now the fastest-recovery period on record in the last 40 years.

16. Giving by individuals, 1974-2014 (in billions of dollars)
Estimated charitable giving by individuals was $ billion in 2014, an increase of 5.7 percent in current dollars from Adjusted for inflation, giving by individuals increased 4.0 percent in
The total amount estimated for giving by individuals in 2014 includes itemized and non-itemized charitable contributions. Donations include gifts of cash, securities, and property.
In 2014, itemized giving by individuals amounted to an estimated $ billion. Estimated non-itemized giving amounted to $43.62 billion.
For the year 2014, it is estimated that giving by non-itemizing individuals grew 4.1 percent and giving by itemizing individuals grew 6.0 percent over 2013.
Giving by individuals was bolstered by a number of very large gifts paid by top donors in Paid gifts of $200 million and above amounted to an estimated $4.79 billion and were incorporated into the giving by individuals estimate released in this edition.13 Many of these very large gifts were contributed by young donors from the tech industry.

17. Giving by foundations, 1974-2014 (in billions of dollars)
Grantmaking by independent, community, and operating foundations increased 8.2 percent in current dollars from 2013—to an estimated $ billion in 2014—according to figures provided by the Foundation Center. Adjusted for inflation, giving by foundations increased 6.5 percent in
Giving grew by all three types of foundations included in the estimate for 2014:
– Giving by independent foundations increased 7.8 percent;
– Giving by operating foundations increased 8.1 percent; and
– Giving by community foundations increased 10.9 percent.
Giving USA estimates that, on average, giving by family foundations comprises 63 percent of giving by independent foundations each year. For 2014, this amount was $25.22 billion, or 46.7 percent of total giving by all foundations included in the foundation giving estimate.15

18. Giving by bequest, 1974-2014 (in billions of dollars)
Charitable giving by bequest is estimated to have increased 15.5 percent in current dollars from 2013, to $28.13 billion.16
Adjusted for inflation, giving by bequest increased 13.6 percent in 2014.
The total amount for giving by bequest in 2014 includes an estimated amount for charitable bequests from estates with assets of $1 million and above and estates with assets below $1 million. For 2014:
–Estimated bequest giving from estates $1 million and above amounted to $22.12 billion.
–Estimated bequest giving from estates with assets below $1 million amounted to $6.01 billion.

19. Giving by corporations, 1974-2014 (in billions of dollars)
Charitable giving by corporations increased by an estimated 13.7 percent in current dollars from 2013, totaling $17.77 billion. Adjusted for inflation, giving by corporations increased 11.9 percent in
Corporate giving includes cash and in-kind contributions made through corporate giving programs, as well as grants and gifts made by corporate foundations.
Corporate foundation grantmaking was flat at -0.8 percent between 2013 and 2014, amounting to $5.34 billion.18
Giving by corporations is directly linked with companies’ profits and the economic environment in which corporations operate. In 2014, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) increased 3.9 percent year over year compared with Corporate pre-tax profits also rose, at a rate of 8.3 percent. The rates of change for these economic factors were higher than in 2013, causing corporate giving to rise much higher compared with

20. Giving by source: Percentage of the total in five-year spans, (in inflation-adjusted dollars, 2014 = $100)
When dividing total giving by source in five-year spans, giving by individuals has declined from 83 percent of total giving in the five-year period ending in 1979 to 72 percent of total giving in the five-year period ending in 2014—an 11 percentage-point decline.20
The decline in giving by individuals appears to have been offset by the increase in grantmaking by foundations in the last 40 years. The share of total giving by foundations rose from 6 percent of total giving in the five-year period ending in 1979 to 15 percent of total giving in the five-year period ending in 2014.
The shares of giving by corporations and bequests have remained relatively consistent over the last four decades. Giving by corporations has comprised between 4 percent and 6 percent of total giving in the last 40 years, while giving by bequest has comprised between 7 percent and 9 percent of the total.

21. Total giving by source in five-year spans, (in billions of inflation-adjusted dollars, 2014 = $100)
The average rate of change between each five-year period in the last 40 years was 14.3 percent.21
Total giving saw exceptionally strong growth between the five-year periods beginning in 1995 and 2000, at an increase of 31.9 percent. This increase followed a growth rate of 27.9 percent between the five-year periods beginning in 1990 and 1995.
Giving by individuals saw its largest period of growth between the five-year periods beginning in 1995 and 2000, at 30.1 percent. Giving by individuals realized its only decline between the five-year periods beginning in 2005 and 2010, at -3.8 percent.
Giving by foundations increased the most between the five-year periods beginning in 1995 and 2000, with a 61.4 percent increase. Giving by foundations did not decline once between any of these five-year periods.22
Giving by bequest saw its largest period of growth between the five-year periods beginning in 1990 and 1995, at 39.1 percent. Giving by bequest realized its only decline between the five-year periods beginning in 2005 and 2010, at -5.2 percent.
Giving by corporations increased the most between the five-year periods beginning in 1980 and 1985, with a 35.5 percent increase. Giving by corporations declined once, at -4.3 percent, between the five-year periods beginning in 1985 and 1990.

22. Trends in total giving, 1974-2014 (in billions of dollars)
Total charitable giving reached $ billion in 2014, increasing by $23.88 billion in current dollars from
The average year-to-year change in total giving between 1974 and 2014 was an increase of $8.12 billion, making the current-dollar change in total giving between 2013 and 2014 nearly three times the 40-year average.
Because $ in 2014 was worth $98.40 in 2013, the rise in the total amount given between 2013 and 2014 in inflation-adjusted dollars was less than what it was in current dollars. Total giving increased $18.44 billion in inflation-adjusted dollars between 2013 and 2014.
The average year-to-year inflation-adjusted change in total giving between 1974 and 2014 was an increase of $5.41 billion, making the inflation-adjusted change in total giving between 2013 and 2014 considerably higher than average for this 40-year period.
Since 1975, total giving in current dollars grew the most in the 10-year period 1995–2004, at percent. The slowest 10-year period of growth for total current-dollar giving was 2005–2014, at 22.6 percent.
Since 1975, total giving in inflation-adjusted dollars grew the most in the 10-year period 1995–2004, at 70.6 percent. The slowest 10-year period of growth for total inflation-adjusted giving was 2005–2014, at 1.1 percent.

23. Total giving as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product, (in inflation-adjusted dollars, 2014 = $100)
Several economic factors relate to how much donors give to charity each year. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is one of those factors. GDP is defined as the market value of all goods and services produced within a country’s borders within a specific period of time. It is one of the most important factors considered in measuring the status of a nation’s economic health.
GDP increased in inflation-adjusted dollars by 2.2 percent between 2013 and This rate of change is compared with inflation-adjusted growth in total giving of 5.4 percent. Total giving as a percentage of GDP in 2014 was 2.1 percent.
Between 1956 and 1972, total giving was consistently at or above 2.0 percent of GDP. This percentage fell in the period 1973–1998, rose to 2.0 percent or above between 1999 and 2008, and fell to 1.9 percent in the period 2009–2011. Total giving as a percentage of GDP has been at or above 2.0 percent for the last three years (2012–2014).

24. Total charitable giving graphed with the Standard & Poor's 500 Index, (in billions of inflation-adjusted dollars, 2014 = $100)
Research has found a statistically significant correlation between changes in total giving and values on the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index (S&P 500). Because stock market values are an indicator of financial and economic security, households and corporations are more likely to give when the stock market is up.
The direction of change and the robustness of growth in total giving generally both lag slightly behind the S&P 500. However, policy changes that affect giving can mediate the connection between giving and stock values.
The S&P 500 generally sees more dramatic changes from year to year than total giving. The inflation-adjusted range of change in the S&P 500 in the last 10-year period was between percent and 27.7 percent (2005–2014). This is compared with inflation-adjusted total giving ranging from a change of -8.0 percent to 8.7 percent during this same period.25
The S&P 500 increased 9.6 percent in inflation-adjusted dollars between 2013 and This is compared with an increase in inflation-adjusted total giving of 5.4 percent.

25. Individual giving as a percentage of disposable personal income, 1974-2014 (in current dollars)
Disposable personal income is tied to a household’s total income, which is a key determinant in how much a household gives. For many households, how much they give depends on their spendable income, or disposable personal income.
In 2014, disposable personal income increased 3.8 percent from This is compared with growth in disposable personal income of 1.0 percent between 2012 and
Individual giving as a percentage of disposable personal income rose to 2.0 percent in 2013 and 2014, after a period of time at the 1.8 percent to 1.9 percent range in the years 2008 to 2012.
In the last 40 years, individual giving as a percentage of disposable personal income was at its highest in 2000, when it reached 2.4 percent.

26. Corporate giving as a percentage of corporate pre-tax profits, 1974-2014 (in current dollars)
Corporate pre-tax profits are a significant factor in how much corporations give each year, and changes in corporate giving closely follow corporate pre-tax profits.
Giving by corporations, which includes grants from corporate foundations, is estimated to be 0.7 percent of corporate pre-tax profits for This is the lowest percentage recorded for this figure in the last 40 years, matching only four other years during the mid-1970s.
Corporate giving as a percentage of corporate pre-tax profits was at its highest point in the mid-1980s, when it reached 2.0 percent in 1986.
In the last four decades, since 1974, corporate giving as a percentage of corporate pre-tax profits has averaged 1.1 percent. The average rate of growth of corporate giving was 7.5 percent, and the average rate of growth of corporate pre-tax profits was 8.0 percent during the same period.

27. Giving to religion, 1974-2014 (in billions of dollars)
Contributions to the religion subsector comprised 32 percent of all donations received by charities in 2014.
Giving to religious organizations increased 2.5 percent in current dollars from 2013, totaling $ billion. Adjusted for inflation, giving to religion held flat at 0.9 percent from
The total amount contributed to religion in 2014 reached its highest inflation-adjusted value ever.
Nonprofit-sector reports indicate that more religious organizations saw increases in charitable contributions in 2014 compared with Online giving to the religious subsector appears to have been strong, but offline giving was weaker.30

28. Giving to education, 1974-2014 (in billions of dollars)
Giving to the education subsector amounted to 15 percent of total giving in 2014.
Contributions to education organizations increased 4.9 percent in current dollars from 2013, to $54.62 billion. Adjusted for inflation, giving to education organizations increased 3.2 percent.31
For the year 2014, contributions to education totaled the highest inflation-adjusted value recorded to date. The year 2013 saw the second-highest total amount to education, at $52.94 billion, followed by $49.74 billion for the year 2012.
Giving to education was strengthened in 2014 by the contributions of several very large gifts, many in support of higher education capital campaigns and medical research initiatives.32

29. Giving to human services, 1974-2014 (in billions of dollars)
Contributions to the human services subsector comprised 12 percent of all donations received by charities in 2014.
Giving to human services organizations grew 3.6 percent in current dollars from 2013, totaling $42.10 billion. Adjusted for inflation, giving to human services increased 1.9 percent between 2013 and
The total amount contributed to human services in 2014 reached its highest inflation-adjusted value ever. The 2014 total for giving to human services followed the high of $41.40 billion recorded for the year 2012 and $41.31 billion for the year 2013.
Generally, organizations providing direct services reported that they were better able to meet demand in 2014, compared with Moreover, a greater percentage of human services nonprofits saw increases in charitable receipts received than in

30. Giving to foundations, 1978-2014* (in billions of dollars)
Giving to foundations amounted to 12 percent of total giving in 2014.
Contributions to foundations increased 1.8 percent in current dollars from 2013, to $41.62 billion. Adjusted for inflation, giving to foundations saw a flat rate of change of 0.1 percent.36
The estimate for giving to foundations includes gifts made to independent, community, and operating foundations.
The total for contributions to foundations has not yet returned to its previous highest inflation-adjusted value, which was recorded in 2007 at $43.00 billion.
Several very large gifts paid by top donors and estates went to foundations in Paid gifts of $200 million and above amounted to an estimated $5.73 billion and were incorporated into the giving to foundations estimate released in this edition.37 The top gift was a contribution by Bill and Melinda Gates to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in the amount of $1.92 billion.

31. Giving to health, 1974-2014 (in billions of dollars)
Contributions to the health subsector comprised 8 percent of all donations received by charities in 2014.
Giving to health organizations grew 5.5 percent in current dollars from 2013, totaling $30.37 billion. Adjusted for inflation, giving to health increased 3.8 percent between 2013 and
For the year 2014, contributions to health totaled the highest inflation-adjusted value recorded to date. The year 2010 saw the second-highest total amount to health, at $30.05 billion, followed by $29.27 billion for the year 2013.
Nonprofit-sector reports indicate that fewer health organizations saw increases in charitable contributions in 2014 compared with Online giving to the health subsector appears to have been strong, but offline giving was weaker.40

32. Giving to public-society benefit, 1974-2014 (in billions of dollars)
Giving to public-society benefit organizations amounted to 7 percent of total giving in 2014.
Contributions to the public-society benefit subsector increased 5.1 percent in current dollars from 2013, to $26.29 billion. Adjusted for inflation, giving to public-society benefit organizations increased 3.4 percent.41
The total for contributions to public-society benefit has not yet returned to its previous highest inflation-adjusted value, which was recorded in 2006 at $27.18 billion.
Contributions to national donor-advised funds slowed substantially in However, support of causes around civic advocacy and community building appears to have grown.

33. Giving to arts, culture, and humanities, 1974-2014 (in billions of dollars)
Giving to the arts, culture, and humanities subsector amounted to 5 percent of total giving in 2014.
Contributions to arts, culture, and humanities organizations increased 9.2 percent in current dollars from 2013, to $17.23 billion. Adjusted for inflation, giving to these organizations increased by 7.4 percent.42
The total amount contributed to arts, culture, and humanities in 2014 reached its highest inflation-adjusted value ever. The 2014 total for giving to arts, culture, and humanities followed the high of $17.03 billion recorded for the year 2007 and $16.34 billion for the year 2006.
Nonprofit-sector reports indicate that more arts, culture, and humanities organizations saw increases in charitable contributions in 2014 compared with 2013,43 with online giving showing particularly strong growth in this subsector.44

34. Giving to international affairs, 1987-2014* (in billions of dollars)
Contributions to the international affairs subsector comprised 4 percent of all donations received by charities in 2014.
Giving to international affairs organizations declined 2.0 percent in current dollars from 2013, totaling $15.10 billion. Adjusted for inflation, giving to international affairs declined 3.6 percent from
The total for contributions to the international affairs subsector has not yet returned to its previous highest inflation-adjusted value, which was recorded in 2008 at $22.63 billion.
International affairs has become the slowest growing subsector over the last five years and is the only one that has seen two straight years of declines. This decline is attributed to an absence of international disasters and events in 2014, individual donors shifting their giving priorities to domestic causes, and corporations shifting some of their giving to overseas organizations.

35. Giving to environment/animals, 1987-2014* (in billions of dollars)
Giving to the environment/animals subsector amounted to 3 percent of total giving in 2014.
Contributions to environmental and animal organizations rose 7.0 percent in current dollars from 2013, to $10.50 billion. Adjusted for inflation, giving to these organizations increased 5.3 percent.46
For the year 2014, contributions to environmental and animal organizations totaled the highest inflation-adjusted value recorded to date. The year 2013 saw the second-highest total amount to environmental and animal organizations, at $9.97 billion, followed by $9.63 billion for the year 2012.
Nonprofit-sector reports indicate that more environmental and animal organizations saw increases in charitable contributions in 2014 compared with 2013, 47 with online giving showing particularly strong growth in this subsector.48

36. Giving by type of recipient as a percentage of the total in five-year spans, * (adjusted for inflation, 2014 = $100; does not include “unallocated”)
Giving to religious organizations has been decreasing as a share of total giving since the 1985–1989 period, when it reached 57 percent of the total. In the last five-year period, 2010–2014, religious giving comprised 33 percent of the total.49
The education subsector has received between 11 percent and 15 percent of total contributions in the past four decades. Giving to education has been particularly strong in the last five-year period, 2010–2014.
The share of giving to human services organizations reached its highest peak in the period beginning 1975, at 13 percent. Giving to this subsector dipped to single-digit percentage levels in the 1980s and 1990s, but rose again to between 11 percent and 12 percent of the total since 2000.
Foundations have received between 10 percent and 12 percent of total contributions since the five-year period beginning in 1995—a significant increase from the share of contributions this subsector received throughout the 1980s and 1990s (5–6 percent).
Giving to the health subsector has tended to fluctuate during the last 40 years, receiving between 7 percent and 12 percent of total contributions.
The public-society benefit subsector has received a steady share of total contributions in the last 30 years—at 7 percent.
Giving to arts, culture, and humanities organizations has consistently totaled between 3 percent and 5 percent of all charitable dollars during the last four decades.
The international affairs subsector saw a steady increase in the share of total contributions received between the five-year periods beginning in 1995 and However, contributions to this subsector have slowed in the last five-year period (2010–2014).
Giving to environmental and animal organizations has been consistently at 2 percent to 3 percent of total contributions since the five-year period beginning in 1990.

37. Total giving by type of recipient organization in five-year spans, (in billions of inflation-adjusted dollars, 2014 = $100; does not include “unallocated”)
Total giving to nearly all types of charitable organizations in the years 2010–2014 rose above total giving in the years 2005–2009. The exceptions were giving to international affairs, which declined 11.8 percent, and giving to religion, which has remained flat.50
Since the five-year period beginning in 1990, five subsectors have never seen a decline in giving between five-year periods: education; human services; public-society benefit; arts, culture, and humanities; and environment/animals.
After increasing more than two-fold between the five-year periods beginning in 1990 and 1995, giving to foundations slowed substantially in the five-year period beginning in Between the five-year periods beginning in 2005 and 2010, giving to foundations grew just 6.5 percent.
While giving to the public-society benefit subsector has seen uneven growth over the last four decades and has slowed in the last decade, this subsector has never realized a decline in giving between five-year periods.
The only subsector that experienced a larger rate of growth in the five-year period beginning in 2010 over the five-year period beginning in 2005 is education.
The three subsectors that experienced the largest rate of overall growth since the five-year period beginning in 1990 are, in order: international affairs, foundations, and environment/animals.

38. Number of volunteers in millions of people, 2003-2013
The Corporation for National and Community Service estimates that 62.6 million U.S. adult residents volunteered in This figure is a decline of 2.9 percent from the 64.5 million U.S. residents who volunteered in
In 2013, total volunteer hours by adults living in the U.S. amounted to 7.7 billion hours. This figure translates into an equivalent of $173 billion contributed to charities and communities across the nation that year.
U.S. residents volunteered at a rate of 32.1 hours per person in This annual volunteering rate has been steadily declining from the 37.9 hours of volunteered time per person in the year 2004.
The 2013 U.S. resident volunteer retention rate was 64.6 percent.

39. Volunteer rate,
According to the Corporation for National and Community Service’s (CNCS) 2014 Volunteering and Civic Engagement in the United States report, the number of U.S. residents volunteering as a share of the population was 25.4 percent in 2013—a decline from the 26.5 percent reported for
The volunteer rate for adult residents of the United States has averaged 27.0 percent in the last decade. This figure has been on a steady decline in the last decade. In the years 2003–2005, the volunteer rate held steady at 28.8 percent.
The greatest percentages of U.S. residents volunteered for religious (33.9 percent), educational (26.2 percent), and social service organizations (14.8 percent) in U.S. residents were most likely engaged in fundraising (25.4 percent) and collecting or distributing food (24.2 percent) for these and other types of organizations.
Among various age groups in the years 2011 to 2013, individuals between the ages of 35 and 44 were most likely to volunteer, at a rate of 31.3 percent. This group was followed by those in the 45–54 age group, who volunteered at a rate of 29.4 percent.

40. The number of 501(c)(3) organizations, 2004-2014
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) annually reports the number of charitable organizations registered under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. In 2013, the number of charitable organizations amounted to 1.12 million, a 6.2 percent increase over
The decline of 15.7 percent between the years 2010 and 2011 is explained by the Pension Protection Act of This act set the requirement for all nonprofit organizations (excluding religious organizations), regardless of size, to file tax returns beginning in In September 2011, over 200,000 charitable organizations lost their tax-exempt status for failure to file legally required documents for three consecutive years. Most of these organizations were likely small and defunct.54
The growth of the charitable sector is generally quite variable from year to year. Nevertheless, taking out the rate of change in the number of charities between 2010 and 2011, the growth rate of the sector was 3.2 percent between the years 2004 and 2014.

41. References
1. All data in this section are reported as estimates, which are subject to revision. The estimates for total charitable giving for the years 2012 and were revised in this edition from estimates reported in Giving USA To provide the most accurate estimates for charitable giving, as new data become available, Giving USA revises its estimates for at least the last two years. See more about how Giving USA calculates charitable giving by sources and uses in the “Brief summary of methods used” section of this report.
2. Data were provided by the Foundation Center in April 2015 and are subject to revision. Data on giving by and to foundations are available in the Foundation Center’s Key Facts on U.S. Foundations reports, available at the Foundation Center’s website at
3. See the Foundation Center’s Key Facts on Family Foundations reports at
4. Same as note 1.
5. Same as note 1.

42. References 6. Same as note 2. 7. Same as note 1. 8. Same as note 2.
13. The source of this data is: Maria Di Mento, “The Philanthropy 50,” The Chronicle of Philanthropy, 2015,
14. Same as note 2.
15. Same as note 3.

43. References 16. Same as note 1. 17. Same as note 1. 18. Same as note 2.
19. This data is in current dollars. “Gross Domestic Product,” Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Department of Commerce, 2015, Table 1.1.5, retrieved April 2015, “Corporate Profits Before Tax by Industry,” Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Department of Commerce, 2015, Table 6.17D, retrieved April 2015,
20. Same as note 1.
21. Same as note 1.
22. Same as note 2.
23. Same as note 1.

44. References
24. “Gross Domestic Product,” Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Department of Commerce, 2015, Table 1.1.5, retrieved April 2015,
25. “S&P 500 Stock Price Index (S&P 500),” Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, FRED® Economic Data, retrieved April 2015,
26. “Personal Income and Its Disposition,” Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Department of Commerce, Table 2.1, retrieved April 2015,
27. These data is in current dollars. Data about corporate pre-tax profits comes from: “Corporate Profits Before Tax by Industry,” Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Department of Commerce, 2015, Table 6.17D, retrieved April 2015,
28. Same as note 1.

45. References
29. Winter 2015 Nonprofit Fundraising Survey, Nonprofit Research Collaborative, 2015, This report includes a convenience sample of more than 1,200 respondents, 187 of them Canadian.
Charitable Giving Report, Blackbaud, February 2015, corpmar/cgr/how-nonprofit-fundraising- performed-in-2014.pdf
31. Same as note 1.
32. The sources of this data are: Maria Di Mento, “The Philanthropy 50,” The Chronicle of Philanthropy, 2015, and “Colleges and Universities Raise $37.45 Billion in 2014,” Council for Aid to Education, press release, January 28, 2015,
33. Same as note 1.

46. References
State of the Nonprofit Sector Survey, Nonprofit Finance Fund, 2015, org/files/docs/2015/2015survey_natl_summary.pdf
35. Same as note 29.
36. Same as note 1.
37. Same as note 13.
38. Same as note 1.
39. Same as note 29.
40. Same as note 30.
41. Same as note 1.
42. Same as note 1.
43. Same as note 29.

47. References 44. Same as note 30. 45. Same as note 1.
51. Volunteering and Civic Engagement in the United States, Corporation for National and Community Service, retrieved May 2015,
52. Same as note 51.

48. References
53. Table 25: “Tax Exempt Activities,” 2014 Data Book, IRS, retrieved May 2015, SOI-Tax-Stats-IRS-Data-Book
54. “Pension Protection Act,” United States Department of Labor, Retrieved May 2015,