MEMPHIS—Households in the Memphis region donated an average of $4,154 to charity in 2007, compared to a national household average of $2,247, according
to key findings released today from a new report researched and written by the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University and supported by a consortium of
funders led by the Community Foundation of Greater Memphis.
Giving Memphis 2008: The Report on Philanthropy in the Memphis Region for 2007 is the second edition of Giving Memphis. The study estimates
total charitable giving from Memphis-area households, foundations, bequests, and corporations to charities anywhere in the U.S. There were about 3,900
nonprofits in the Greater Memphis area in 2007. The initial study was published in 2003 by AAFRC Trust for Philanthropy (now Giving USA Foundation), and
both studies follow the model of Giving USA, the yearbook of philanthropy published by Giving USA Foundation and researched and written by the Center on
Philanthropy.
Total giving rose nearly 14 percent (a drop of 1 percent adjusted for inflation) from 2002 to 2007 in the Greater Memphis region, from $1.39 billion in
2002 to $1.58 billion in 2007. An estimated 80 percent of dollars ($1.26 billion) contributed by all types of donors remained in the region, just slightly
more than the 79 percent found in 2002.
Although the household average was higher than the national average, Memphis-area giving did not keep pace with regional population increases or with the
10 percent growth in personal income in the Memphis area, after adjusting for inflation.
"This second edition of Giving Memphis provides an update about giving after increases in income through 2007 and some important shifts
in our region's economy and also in the charitable sector," said Robert M. Fockler, president of the Community Foundation of Greater Memphis.
"The nonprofit sector plays an essential role in our area. Charitable organizations seek to meet the spiritual, intellectual, physical and
material needs of people every day. Many of the needs would not be met without the generous support of nonprofit organizations by individuals, companies
and foundations," Fockler added.
When giving from all sources is combined, religious organizations received the largest share of total charitable donations from the Memphis area,
garnering almost 48 percent of all donations. That amount is significantly higher than the 33 percent of total contributions given to religious causes
nationally. For donations to Memphis-area recipients, 50 percent of gifts were directed to religious organizations.
Shares to other types of recipient organizations were similar in 2007 compared with the distribution in 2002. After religion, the next highest shares
of donations went to human service charities (14 percent), public-society benefit (such as United Way or Jewish Federation, 10 percent) and education at
all levels (9 percent). Support for human services and public-society benefit organizations was also higher on average in the Memphis region than it was
in the U.S. overall during 2007.
"One of the goals of this second study was to compare changes over time within our region," said Leo Arnoult, president of Arnoult & Associates
Inc. "As the study indicates, Memphis-area donors are truly generous compared to national levels of giving."
"Giving Memphis 2008 provides vital information to nonprofit professionals, scholars, researchers, and volunteers," said Patrick
Rooney, interim executive director of the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University. "Compared to the U.S. overall, Memphis-area households give a
higher share of their income to charity, especially among households with income of $50,000 or more a year. In these tough economic times, understanding
and focusing philanthropic efforts is critically important."
Giving Memphis 2008 is intended for use by both nonprofit professionals and the public at large. It measures Memphis-area fundraising
performance against regional and national benchmarks, and provides an opportunity to educate the public and those in the field about the contexts of
giving in the Memphis region. It also offers insights that local leaders and organizations can utilize as they plan for the future. The complete report
will be available in late January.
About the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University
The Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University is a leading academic center dedicated
to increasing the understanding of philanthropy and improving its practice worldwide
through research, teaching, public service and public affairs programs in philanthropy,
fundraising, and management of nonprofit organizations. A part of the Indiana University
School of Liberal Arts at IUPUI, the Center operates program on the IUPUI and IU
Bloomington campuses.
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