American Express Charitable Gift Survey
This fall 2007 study asked donors about their giving and found no
statistically significant differences in the size of the most recent online
and offline gifts made by more than 900 donors. For all gifts, two-thirds
of donations were $100 or less and the median charitable donation was $50.
Other Center research has shown that the average donor household gives
about $2,000 a year. This study suggests that the vast majority of donors
give many small donations. The report includes the mean and median sizes
of the most recent online and offline contributions by type of recipient
charity -- religion, health care, human services, combined funds like
United Way, and so on.
Respondents also provided motivations for giving online: 64 percent said
they gave online because it is a convenient way to give. Another 20 percent
offered reasons related to the charity's own online presence: I got a
request with a link to a site; I could find the site easily; and other
similar statements. For not giving online, 28 percent of respondents said
they didn't make an online contribution because they were not asked, they
couldn't find an online site for the charity they wanted to support, or
they "just didn't think of giving online."
Because the survey was fielded in the early part of the traditional
fall "giving season" in the U.S., the researchers also asked respondents
about how much of their giving occurs from Thanksgiving to New Year's. On
average, people make 24 percent of their annual donations in those six
weeks--or about twice what one would expect if giving were equally
distributed throughout the year. There was, however, a wide range of
responses about holiday giving. Nearly 30 percent of higher income
households (those with income of $100,000 or more) said that they give
less at the holidays than they do at other times.
The survey reached a random sample of Americans in the last two weeks of
September 2007 about their most recent charitable gift. Including an
oversample of online donors, there were 1,428 useable responses. American
Express sponsored the research for the American Express Charitable Gift
Survey, which was conducted by Innovative Research Group. The Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University completed
the analysis and the report. This project was managed by the Hart
Philanthropic Services Group/tedhart.com.
Click here to download the American Express Charitable Gift Survey (printer-friendly version in Acrobat format)
Click here to download a PowerPoint presentation of the American Express Charitable Gift Survey (printer-friendly version in Acrobat format)
Portraits of Donors is a new report that reveals specific behavioral
patterns and motivations of the nation’s wealthy and ultra-wealthy donors.
The report is based on data from the 2006 Bank of America Study of High
Net-Worth Philanthropy, the most in-depth quantitative study ever conducted
of the wealthiest 3.1% of U.S. households. The original study revealed that
wealthy donors possess very different philanthropic traits when compared
to the general U.S. population. In response to high levels of interest in
the original study from non-profit strategists and donors, Bank of America
has delivered on its promise to provide a more in-depth analysis of its
findings.
Developed in partnership with the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana
University, Bank of America's
Portraits of Donors digs deeper to
unveil the unique behaviors, charitable practices and motivations among
12 types of wealthy and ultra-wealthy donors. Donors can leverage these
findings to help determine what they want to accomplish with their
philanthropic missions and identify like-minded donors or strategists for
advice. Non-profit organizations can leverage these findings to help
determine how best to approach and communicate with wealthy donors based on
the characteristics they’re likely to possess.
Click here to download the full report.
For more information about this research, please contact
Heidi K. Frederick, , or call 317-278-8983.
High Net-Worth households, those with incomes of greater than $200,000 or
assets in excess of $1,000,000, represent 3.1 percent of the total households in the
United States. This very small number of households has an enormously disproportionate
impact on charitable giving – they are responsible for approximately two-thirds of all
household charity in this country. The Bank of America Study of High Net-Worth
Philanthropy is the most in-depth quantitative study of those households aimed at
understanding not only their charitable practices, but also the motivations behind
them. Bank of America, one of the leading providers to both philanthropic individuals
and institutions, partnered with the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, one
of the nation’s leading academic centers for the study and practice of philanthropy.
Based on a random survey of over 30,000 households in high net-worth neighborhoods
across the country (1,400 responses), this landmark study has major implications for the
philanthropic sector: those who donate, the nonprofits that benefit from those
donations, and the financial institutions that support them. These are the initial
findings from the study.
Click here to download the report (printer-friendly version in Acrobat format)
2008 Bank of America Study on High Net-Worth Philanthropy
The 2008 Bank of America Study of High Net Worth Philanthropy offers new insights into the giving behaviors of America’s wealthiest donors. Conducted for Bank of America by The Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, the 2008 research follows up and expands upon an initial landmark study published through this partnership in 2006 – the largest survey of wealthy Americans ever conducted on this topic – which has become a leading resource for the philanthropy industry for understanding these important donors.
The new 2008 study followed much of the same methodology as the initial 2006 study in order to identify key trends and to provide even deeper insights into the motivations and attitudes of wealthy donors. The study is the result of randomly surveying over 20,000 households in high net-worth neighborhoods across the country. It reflects the responses of nearly 700 respondents with an average net worth of $12.6 million, excluding their primary residence.
For non-profit professionals, volunteers and charitable advisors, this study offers new information about what high net-worth donors: expect from non-profit organizations, hope to achieve through major gifts and the reasons why they stop giving to particular organizations. The 2008 report also reveals new information on the role that charitable and financial advisors play in high net-worth philanthropy, including the initiation of charitable advice and the utilization of charitable giving vehicles.
Click here to download the report (printer-friendly version in Acrobat format)
For more information about this research, please contact , or call 317-278-8983.
While most households (67 percent) report donating to charities in recent years, just 8 percent report leaving a charitable bequest in their wills. In principle, anyone who gives during his/her lifetime is a potential bequest donor. Campbell & Company funded a study that sought to improve our understanding of who makes charitable bequests and how nonprofit organizations can raise the number of households that leave charitable bequests. Based on responses to survey questions asked of more than 2,000 people (donors and non-donors), individuals aged 40 to 60 and those with at least a bachelor’s degree education were the most likely to be willing to consider naming a charity in their will.
An executive summary of the report is available by
clicking here.
E-mail
study@campbellcompany.com to request a copy of the full report from Campbell & Company.
Center on Philanthropy Panel Study (COPPS)
The Center on Philanthropy Panel Study (COPPS) is the Center on Philanthropy’s signature research project that aims to follow the same families’ philanthropic behaviors throughout their lives.The study will provide nonprofit sector professionals, fundraisers, policymakers and public officials a unique perspective of families’ giving and volunteering behaviors over time.
The COPPS is conducted in conjunction with the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research’s Panel Study of Income Dynamics, which has surveyed the same 5,000 households since 1966. As children of these respondents have matured, they have been added to the sample, which now exceeds 7,400 households. In 2001, researchers added the philanthropy component, designed and sponsored by the Center on Philanthropy. We hope to repeat the survey every two years thereafter, pending funding.
The COPPS is the only study that surveys giving and volunteering by the same households over time as families mature, face differing economic circumstances and encounter changes in their family size, health and other factors. It also is the only data available that asks families extensively about their wealth and philanthropy as well as income and other relevant factors.
Because the PSID employs genealogical sampling (those who are born or marry into sample families are included thereafter), the panel will allow researchers to study the transmission of philanthropic behaviors across generations and to study the relationship between helping family members and helping anonymous others. Finally, the panel data will help us distinguish types of donors who respond differently to economic, demographic, and environmental factors.
Additional Information:
The Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University and Google partnered in early 2007 to estimate how much
of the charitable giving by households in the U.S. focuses on the needs of the
poor. This analysis finds that less than one-third of the money individuals
gave to nonprofits in 2005 was focused on the needs of the economically
disadvantaged. Of the $250 billion in donations, less than $78 billion
explicitly targeted those in need.
Only 8 percent of households' donated dollars were reported as contributions
to help meet basic needs--providing food, shelter or other necessities. An
additional estimated 23 percent of total giving from all sources went to
programs specifically intended to help people of low income--either providing
other direct benefits (such as medical treatment and scholarships) or through
initiatives creating opportunity and empowerment (such as literacy and job
training programs).
Click here to download the working paper.
For more information about this research, please contact Melissa S. Brown, , or call 317-278-8964.
Many researchers have summarized changes in corporate philanthropy during the
past decade. The Center on Philanthropy interviewed key corporate giving
program staff at 10 leading donor companies in the United States in fall
2006, asking questions focused on how these companies are currently conducting
their philanthropic programs and what the program managers thought might be
emerging as potential trends. Among the interviewed companies, in the areas
where the firm has selected a particular philanthropic goal, they are seeking
to engage nonprofits at partners, not mere recipients. The nonprofit brings
expertise, opportunities, and ideas as its part of the partnership. These
companies are also extending philanthropic decision-making fairly deep and
wide in their organizations, trying to engage staff at nearly all levels in
some aspect of the company's philanthropic initiatives. They want their
nonprofit partners to help in that effort to engage more employees. These
firms also want measurements of the impact of their giving, yet some are still
struggling with how to implement metrics that work for the nonprofiit and for
the corporate goals.
Click here to download a copy of the key findings from these interviews (printer-friendly version in Acrobat format).
For more information about this study, please contact Melissa S. Brown, , or call 317-278-8964.
Following the September 11th attacks on America, the Center on Philanthropy began studying disaster relief giving. This research remains ongoing, but presented below is information about U.S. philanthropic organizations and the amount of gifts received for the September 11th attacks, tsunami relief, the Gulf Coast hurricanes, and the Pakistan Earthquake.
For more information on disaster relief giving including access to data on giving to organizations for disaster relief, go to the
premium services section of our website.
Giving Circles
Giving circles have emerged over the last decade as a growing and significant philanthropic trend among donors of all wealth levels and backgrounds. Past studies have shown that the number of giving circles has exploded across the country and that they are an established philanthropic force. Donors who participate in giving circles say they give more, give more strategically, and are more knowledgeable about nonprofit organizations and problems their local communities, according to a report released by the University of Nebraska at Omaha, the Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers, and the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University. Giving circle members are more likely than other donors to give to organizations serving women and girls, ethnic and minority groups, and for arts, culture and ethnic awareness. They are less likely to give to federated or combined giving funds (such as the United Way) and to religious organizations. The study, which was funded in part by the Aspen Institute Nonprofit Sector and Philanthropy Program, examines the impact of giving circles on members’ giving and civic engagement engagement, knowledge and attitudes. The report included a survey of 587 current and past giving circle members and a control group, interviews, and participant observations.
Reports (PDF): Summary | Full Report
Giving USA 2009 shows that charitable giving in the United States is estimated to be $307.65 billion for 2008. This is a 2 percent decline compared with the revised estimate of $314.07 billion for charitable giving in 2007. The decline is 5.7 percent after adjusting for inflation. Giving USA is a publication of Giving USA Foundation™ and is written and researched at the Center on Philanthropy.
The Giving USA 2009 report provides details about this estimate, about the allocation of charitable gifts by source of contribution and by type of recipients, and about studies that appeared in 2008 that relate to fundraising. This year’s edition also contains information about fundraising in 2009. Orders for the book, the accompanying PowerPoint presentation, and other materials can be placed at https://www.givinginstitute.org/secure/.
Giving USA is a publication of Giving USA Foundation™ and is written and researched at the Center on Philanthropy.
Million Dollar List
For thirty-three years, Arthur C. Frantzreb maintained a list of all reported gifts of $1 million or more. The Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University agreed in 1999 to compile and distribute the Million Dollar List to ensure that his unique record of significant gifts is continued, as a service to fundraisers, as a document for historians, and as an example for donors. Mr. Frantzreb, who passed away in early 2004, was an advisor to the Center on Philanthropy from its founding in 1987 and also had been a consulting member to the Center's Board of Governors. Gifts made to the Center on Philanthropy fund the research, compilation, and publication of the Million Dollar List.
A searchable database of Million Dollar gifts made between 2000 and 2008
is available to premium service members of the Center on Philanthropy.
One week access to the database is also available.
First Quarter, 2009 (January 1st to March 31st)
Fourth Quarter, 2008 (October 1st to December 31st)
Click here if you need to download the free Adobe Reader.
Contact Melissa Brown, Associate Director of Research, at 317-278-8964 for more information about the Million Dollar List.
A searchable format of the Million Dollar List, with records back to 2000, is available by subscription. Search terms include donor name, recipient name, amount, subsector of recipient (education, health, etc.) and more. See Premium Services to subscribe.
Survey of Americans' Generosity after September 11
Americans who gave to the September 11th relief efforts gave an average of nearly $134, and those who volunteered gave an average of almost 17 hours. These and other findings are reported in a study conducted by the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) and the AFP Foundation for Philanthropy. The study was released in January 2002.
America Gives report (printer-friendly version in Acrobat format). Download the free Adobe Reader.
Beginning in January of 2005 the Center on Philanthropy began to track charitable gifts made by U.S. foundations, corporations, and individuals in response to major disasters. Since that time, the Center has developed estimates of giving to the Asian Tsunami (December 2004), the Gulf Coast Hurricanes (August 2005), and the Pakistan Earthquake (October 2005). The Center’s research department has made available lists of organizations that collected funds for relief efforts after the disasters. The lists include information gathered from publicly reported sources, such as news media accounts and Web sites. The listings do not contain every organization raising funds for relief. The lists are not an endorsement for any agency or entity listed.
The files list organizations providing direct relief following one of the above mention disasters. The tally includes the amount reported in cash donations, in-kind gifts, fundraising goals, the source of information, and in some cases a short description of an organization’s relief activities. Organization totals represent total U.S. contributions by individuals, corporations, and foundations.
In addition to tracking charitable donations for disaster relief, the Center’s research department also conducts research on charitable giving for relief efforts after major disasters.
Premium service members of the Center on Philanthropy have access to the Center’s disaster giving research. Access to the research can also be purchased in one week increments.
For more information about the Center on Philanthropy’s disaster giving research, please contact Heidi K. Frederick, Assistant Director of Research, or 317-278-8983.
William B. Hanrahan CCS Fellowship Report about gifts of $1 million or more
The most comprehensive look to date at gifts of $1 million or more reveals that donors of “self-made” wealth made the most
gifts and gave the most dollars, according to a study of the Million Dollar List™ released in November 2008. CCS, a
fundraising, development services and nonprofit consulting firm, funded the analysis through the Center’s William B.
Hanrahan CCS Fellowship. The study of more than 4,840 gifts from individuals to charitable organizations of $1 million or
more that were announced in the news media between January 2000 and September 2007 examines the gift amounts and causes
the gifts supported, as well as characteristics of the donors.
Full Report
