JENKINTOWN, PA – National Philanthropic Trust (NPT), one of the top 25 grant-making institutions in the US, has identified positive philanthropic trends in the just-released "Giving USA: Annual Report on Philanthropy.” The 58th annual report—considered the country's most comprehensive—revealed Americans donated an estimated $316.23 billion to charitable causes in 2012, a 3.5 percent increase from 2011.
"Americans continue to be the most generous people in the world, despite discretionary income percentages nearing all-time lows,” said Eileen Heisman, CEO of National Philanthropic Trust, a Giving USA partner. "More than ever, I hear from donors that they are selective about the what charities and causes they choose to support. With over one million registered charities to choose from, Americans give to what is important to them. Social media and other online resources have made it easier for donors to give with their head as well as their heart, and track the short and long-term impact of their donations.”
At the launch event today in Philadelphia, it was revealed that giving by individuals rose an estimated 3.9 percent in 2012 to $228.93 billion in contributions; foundations increased 4.4 percent to $45.74 billion; corporations rose 12.2 percent to $18.15 billion and bequests decreased 7.0 percent to $23.41 billion.
A look at the charity categories detailed donations to the arts and culture ($14.44 billion) and animal and environmental organizations ($8.30 billion) showed the largest percentage growth – 7.8 and 6.8 percent respectively. Giving to education increased ($41.33 billion). Giving to religion was flat ($101.54 billion) as was giving to international affairs ($19.11 billion).
Superstorm Sandy made a significant impact on human services giving category ($40.40 billion; 3.8 percent overall increase). In the last two months of 2012, an estimated $223 million was given to support organizations working on Hurricane Sandy relief efforts. For 2013, Giving USA estimates $100 million in additional Sandy-related donations.
"Historically, giving is a lagging indicator of the economy,” said Heisman. "The positive data in Giving USA's report indicates Americans may be feeling more confident about the global economy.”
The Giving USA report also noted a marked increase in giving to donor-advised funds (DAFs) in the public-society benefit organization category. This mirrors the findings of NPT's annual Donor-Advised Fund Report, which specifically reviews the DAF marketplace.
"Philadelphia-area charities, as well as national charities, must continue to work hard to make their case for support,” continued Heisman. "Locally, we can see the trends that Giving USA identified in action: Penn completed its multi-billion dollar campaign; new dorms and buildings are cropping up all over Temple's campus; the Arden Theatre is opening the Hamilton Family Arts Building soon; and FringeArts found a permanent home as it renovates an old waterfront building into a new visual and performing arts center. There are many other organizations in our area that have successfully made their case. Now, they are reaping the benefits of Philadelphians' generosity and giving back to our community in an impactful way.”
About National Philanthropic TrustNPT was founded in 1996. Since that time, it has raised over $3.3 billion in charitable contributions and currently manages over $1.7 billion in charitable assets. NPT has made nearly 73,000 grants totaling almost $1.7 billion to charities all over the world and ranks among the 25 largest grant-making institutions in the United States. NPT publishes the DAF Report, which is a unique, annual compilation and analysis of charitable organizations that sponsor donor-advised funds. Visit (Link).
