A Remarkable Rise in International Giving
Tags: Giving, Charity, International, 2016
The American philanthropic sector welcomed last week the release of the Giving USA 2016 report that shows a considerable growth of charitable giving, with contributions exceeding $373 billion for 2015. A publication of Giving USA Foundation, The Giving Institute & IUPUI, the report focuses on charitable giving trends within the United States and provides valuable insight on who gives and to what causes.
Below are a few key findings and trends that we found to be of interest:
- Total charitable giving increased 7.8 percent in current dollars between 2013 and 2014, and increased 4.1 percent between 2014 and 2015.
- Giving by individuals comprised 71 percent of total giving in 2015.
- Giving by corporations comprised 5 percent of total giving in 2015.
- Gifts to the international affairs subsector amounted to the eighth-largest share of charitable dollars in 2015, with 4 percent of the total.
- Giving to international affairs increased 14.1 percent in current dollars between 2013 and 2015.
As an organization committed to international philanthropy, we are thrilled to see the enhanced investment of the US donors in supporting organizations around the globe. “Americans are increasingly looking beyond their own borders philanthropically”, said Ted Hart, the CEO of CAF America while discussing the report with its authors on Nonprofit Coach Radio. This significant growth in international giving can be attributed to many factors, but most importantly to natural disasters such as the Nepalese earthquake and, on the domestic front, to the rise of younger generations who consider themselves to be global citizens. According to the interlocutors, another contributing factor to this trend is the availability of Donor Advised Funds (DAFs). As it often takes more time and effort to make impactful donations abroad, DAFs are allowing donors to be more strategic with their international philanthropy, while also receiving a charitable tax deduction in the US.
We congratulate CAF America’s donors, who have clearly played a vital part in the rise of international giving, and we look forward to 2016 being another great year.
