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.
American Express Charitable Gift Survey - PDF |
American Express Charitable Gift Survey - Powerpoint
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.
Full Report
For more information about this study, please call 317-278-8909.
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.
Full Report (printer-friendly version in Acrobat format)
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.
Full Report (printer-friendly version in Acrobat format)
For more information about this study, please call 317-278-8909.
Through an ongoing partnership, the 2010 Bank of America Merrill Lynch Study of High Net Worth Philanthropy reveals significant shifts as well as consistent trends in the giving behaviors of wealthy donors, including the nonprofit sectors they support, how they direct their largest gifts, motivations for giving to and discontinuing support for a nonprofit organization, volunteerism, and who donors turn to for advice about philanthropy. The latest study also examines new areas of research, including how charitable decisions are made within high net worth households, investment risk tolerance as it pertains to donors' philanthropic assets, and responding to disaster relief.
Full Report (printer-friendly version in Acrobat format)
The 2011 Study of High Net Worth Women’s Philanthropy is the latest in a series of industry leading reports that began in 2006. The latest report is based on nationwide surveys of wealthy donors completed in 2010 and 2011, and was once again conducted in partnership with Bank of America Merrill Lynch.
As women create and control a growing share of wealth in the country, their power and influence in philanthropy is becoming more evident. For non-profit organizations, findings from this research offer key insights into the philanthropy of high net worth women donors, the understanding of which is essential when developing engagement strategies and tailoring appeals for women philanthropists. This study reveals that women spend more time than men on due diligence when making charitable decisions. They want a deeper level of communication with the non-profits they support and place greater importance on its efficiency, effectiveness and the impact of their gifts.
Full Report (printer-friendly version in Acrobat format)
The
2012 Financial Literacy and Knowledge in the Nonprofit Sector report offers new insights on the resources nonprofit organizations use to manage their finances, identifies best practices in financial decision-making, and provides suggestions for improving financial planning in the long term. Conducted by the Center on Philanthropy, in collaboration with The Moody’s Foundation, this study seeks to better understand nonprofit organizations’ financial literacy and knowledge as well as the financial practices these organizations currently adopt.
Full Report (printer-friendly version in Acrobat format)
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.
Executive Summary
E-mail study@campbellcompany.com to request a copy of the full report from Campbell & Company.
Gender does not generally predict whether someone who donates to charity is likely to leave a charitable bequest in his or her will. About 16 percent of donors surveyed had a charitable bequest in their will. Single men and women (who had never married) were more likely than married or widowed individuals to have a bequest. Other important determinants of having a charitable bequest were income level and education level. Donors with a charitable bequest cited their sense of responsibility to help those with less as their strongest motivation for their charitable giving. The third-most frequent motivation, after religious beliefs, was their belief that charities deliver services more effectively than government or for-profit organizations. The results are found using studies of eight different geographical regions of the United States as conducted by the Center on Philanthropy between 2003 and 2008.
Full Report (printer-friendly version in Acrobat format)
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).
Working Paper
For more information about this research, please call 317-278-8909.
2009 Congregational Economic Impact Study
2009 Congregational Economic Impact Study - Many congregations are concerned about charitable giving in these times. The Alban Institute and Lake Institute on Faith & Giving at the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University have collaborated to assess the challenges congregations have faced over the past two years and to provide information that will help inform changes in current practices. This report also takes an in-depth look at how congregations responded to the recession and which types of congregations fared better during the recession and which types were more adversely impacted.
Learn more and view the report
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.
Key Findings
For more information about this study, please call 317-278-8909.
Donor Motivations
Analysis by the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, funded by CCS, reveals that regional variations in the motivations selected for charitable giving can be explained by regional differences in income and education, not underlying values specific to the region. No matter where they lived, donors in different income groups identified similar motivations for their giving. Among donors with income less than $50,000, the motivational statements that resonated were “helping to meet basic needs” or “helping the poor help themselves.” Donors with income between $50,000 and $100,000 said more often than those in other income groups that they gave to “make the world better.” Among donors with income of $100,000 or more, the phrases likely to be selected as motivations for giving were “those with more should help those with less” or “making my community better.”
View the Report (PDF)
Family Foundations
Family Philanthropy Beyond Borders: Best Practices for Family Foundations with Geographically Dispersed Boards examines how family foundations adapt to having fewer local board members. The findings reveal best practices for foundations navigating this transition, and for nonprofits that work with them. The study was commissioned in 2011 by the J. F Maddox Foundation.
View the Report (PDF)
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
Best Practices in Education Grant Making 2009 investigates strategic grant making in the field of higher education. Through an analysis of literature and interviews with six leading funders in higher education, the report identifies effective strategies of grantmaking organizations in addressing barriers to higher education. Such strategies include defining organizational purpose and identity, utilizing of innovative techniques, catalyzing research, collaborating with co-funders, and measuring impact.
View the Report (PDF)
Lions Clubs International Study
Among the first international surveys to focus on philanthropic engagement of service club members, this study reveals that members of Lions Clubs International are highly engaged in philanthropy both in the U.S. and abroad. The study was sponsored by Lions Clubs International and CCS. Based on survey data collected from Lions clubs members in 12 countries, the study provides new insights on members’ voluntary service, charitable giving, leadership, and social trust. Two reports were produced from the study. Serving, Giving, and Leading in the United States provides an in-depth look at philanthropic engagement of U.S. Lions clubs members, and Serving, Giving, and Leading Globally explores cross-country comparisons.
Reports (PDF): Executive Summary | U.S. Report | Global Report
Million Dollar List
The Million Dollar List is the only public and free record of publicly reported gifts of $1 million or more since 2000. It provides a clearer picture of the philanthropic landscape, revealing patterns and trends in million dollar-plus giving. Million dollar gifts comprise a key part of charitable giving and represent an important threshold for donors. Information and increased knowledge about these gifts provide greater insight into giving at this level, and offers donors and their advisors a new resource as they consider strategic approaches to their giving.
Read more
Nonprofit Research Collaborative Nonprofit Fundraising Survey, November 2010
In this ninth annual survey of nonprofit organizations (charities and foundations), respondents
answered questions comparing their organizations’ total contributions in the first nine months of
2010 compared with the same period in 2009. Nearly the same percentage of organizations
reported that giving was up as those that reported giving was down. Of the about 2,500 responses,
36 percent said giving rose and 37 percent said giving fell, while the other 26 percent reported that
total giving remained the same.
Get the full report (PDF)
Nonprofit Research Collaborative Nonprofit Fundraising Survey, March 2011
The results of this survey of more than 1,800 nonprofit organizations (charities and foundations) are an improvement over the November 2010 survey conducted by the Nonprofit Research Collaborative. At that time, 36 percent of responding charities reported an increase and 37 percent reported a decrease in the first nine months of 2010. This suggests that the "uptick" in giving anticipated in the last weeks of 2010 might have occurred, but nonetheless, the growth in contributions received did not match expectations for the year.
Get the full report (PDF)
Nonprofit Research Collaborative Nonprofit Fundraising Survey, September 2011
The results of this survey of 813 nonprofit organizations (charities and foundations) indicate that nonprofit organizations still face a difficult fundraising climate. The survey conducted by the Nonprofit Research Collaborative shows that changes in charitable gifts received in the first half of 2011 were similar to all of 2010: 44 percent of responding charities reported increases in funds raised; 25 percent said giving was the same as in the same period the prior year; and 30 percent saw a decline. In the Association of Fundraising Professionals’ 2007 State of Fundraising Survey, which asked the same questions as the 2011 NRC study, 65 percent of respondents raised more money that year, before the recession, than in 2006. Eleven percent raised about the same, and 24 percent raised less.
Get the full report (PDF)
Nonprofit Research Collaborative Nonprofit Fundraising Survey, December 2011
The Late Fall 2011 Nonprofit Fundraising Survey report collects data and examines fundraising results and their implications for organizational operations now and in the future. This report covers plans for 2012, which are often based on results to date in 2011, using survey results from 875 responding charities. The survey included numerous questions about levels of demand, plans for 2012 and signals of fiscal stress. Data from this study alert managers and donors alike to consider the priorities facing the nonprofit sector in 2012.
Get the full report (PDF)
Nonprofit Research Collaborative Nonprofit Fundraising Survey, April 2012
More than 1,600 organizations answered survey questions in early 2012 about charitable receipts from January through December 2011. Responding groups included large and small organizations (by budget size) and organizations from every subsector, from Arts, Culture & Humanities to Religion. Questions ranged from changes in charitable receipt amounts in 2011 compared with 2010 to expectations for 2012. A special section of the survey focused on how board members of charitable organizations are engaged in fundraising. This report includes some key findings, such as the percentage of responding charities that require a gift from every board member, the average minimum gift from board members, and various activities that board members undertake to help their nonprofit organizations raise funds more successfully.
Get the full report (PDF)
Rural and Urban Donors: Comparing Donation Patterns
Rural donors give less on average than donors living in urban areas but they give a higher percentage
of their income than their urban peers, analysis by the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University
finds. Charitable Giving by Type of Community: Comparing Donation Patterns of Rural and Urban Donors,
examines patterns of charitable giving between rural and urban households. In the study, which was
funded by the Association of Fundraising Professionals’ Research Fund, donors in rural communities were
significantly more likely to say they gave because of their values, such as a belief in helping those
with less and their religious beliefs. Urban donors were more likely to say that they give to make an
impact and because their family and friends asked them to give.
Read the full report.
Significant Gifts: Where Donors Direct Their Largest Gifts and Why
Donors to charitable organizations give more when they are asked in person and when someone
they know makes the request, a new study commissioned by Chicago-based consulting firm Campbell &
Company and conducted by the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University finds. The study, Significant Gifts: Where Donors Direct Their Largest Gifts and Why, which is based on a national sample of more than 8,300 donors, confirms what nonprofit organization fundraisers have often observed: people give to people, and especially to people they know. The study examined characteristics of and factors influencing a donor household’s single largest gift.
Visit the Campbell & Company website to request a copy of the full report.
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
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
More than one-third of all Americans are asked to give to charity in the workplace each year. In the most comprehensive study to date of workplace giving, the Center on Philanthropy surveyed more than 6,000 full-time employees and interviewed more than 40 company executives with and without workplace campaigns during 2008 and 2009. The study was commissioned by United Way Worldwide. Findings suggest that changes in corporate environments, technology, and the economy have allowed enhanced workplace giving campaigns to offer year-round opportunities for giving and volunteering. Effective giving campaigns can take a variety of forms and can be adapted to meet the philanthropic goals of employees, companies, and communities.
