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Giving USA: The Numbers

2008 contributions: $307.65 billion by source of contributions
($ in billions – All figures are rounded)

Individuals
$229.28
75%

Corporations
$14.50
5%

Foundations
$41.21
13%

Bequests
$22.66
7%

 

Total giving for 2008 is estimated to be $307.65 billion. This is a decrease of 2.0 percent (- 5. 7 percent adjusted for inflation) compared with the revised estimate of $314.07 billion for 2007.

This is the first decline in giving since 1987 and the second since Giving USA began in 1956.

Individual giving, at $229.28 billion, includes estimated charitable deductions on tax returns filed for 2008 and an estimate of charitable giving by taxpayers who do not itemize deductions.

The charitable bequest estimate of $22.66 billion reflects estimates for charitable deductions on estate tax returns filed in 2008 and giving by estates not filing federal estate tax returns.

Individual giving and charitable bequests combined are estimated to be $251.94 billion ( 82 percent of the total).

Foundation grantmaking reached an estimated $41.21 billion. Of that, about $18.5 billion is likely to be from family foundations, based on the percentage of family foundation grants in 2007 reported by the Foundation Center. Grantmaking by corporate foundations is in the estimate of corporate giving.

Individual, bequest, and estimated family foundation giving combined are approximately
$270 billion, or 88 percent of the total. Individual giving and family foundation giving
added together are about $248 billion, which is approximately 81 percent of the total.

Corporate giving is estimated to be $14.50 billion. This includes estimated grants made by corporate foundations.