Giving to public-society benefit, 1968–2008
($ in billions)

23. 88

18. 43

19. 21

16. 42

13. 95

12. 93

9. 35

8. 68

4. 95

5. 36

3.01

5. 14

2. 66

2. 48

1. 50

0.62

Current dollars Inflation-adjusted dollars

0.43

1968

1973

1978

1983

1988

1993

1998

2003

2008

 

Giving to public-society benefit has increased steadily since the 1960s.

In 1988, the inflation-adjusted amount given to public-society benefit ($9.35 billion) divided by the number of American households ( 91. 12 million, using Current Population Survey data from the Census Bureau) results in an estimate of giving to public-society benefit of $103 (adjusted for inflation) per household.

In a similar calculation including giving from all donor types, by 1998, the number of households had grown to 102. 53 million and the per household average gift to public-society benefit had risen to $180. For 2008, with total estimated giving from all sources to public-society benefit of $23.88 billion and approximately 116. 78 million households, donations to public-society benefit increased to an average of $204 per household.

The calculations for giving “per household” include all households, even those that do not give to public-society benefit. They also include all public-society benefit giving, including that from corporations, foundations, and through charitable bequests. This allows for comparison over time and across subsectors.