Giving by type of recipients, five-year spans (adjusted for inflation), 1969–2008
($ in billions)

1,294.1

131. 2

107. 7

96. 8

64. 5

49. 5

30. 6

116. 9

115. 2

66. 9

69. 1

33. 4

1,432.7

974.0

126. 7 182. 7 83. 5

147. 5 78. 5

87.0 81. 7 46. 6 25. 5

18. 6

142. 5

786.7

99. 3 38.0 59. 3 61. 6 63. 3 34.0 17.0

13. 2

160. 7

528.1

75. 5 79. 3 70. 2

16. 7

25.0

555.0 579.1

69. 2 69. 4 5. 3 32.2 76. 5 56. 5 71. 7 56. 9 23. 9 27. 2 30. 9

28. 2

708.1

86. 6

43. 1

51. 6

57.0

37. 2

28. 7

209.0

483.6

519.0

396.6

401.0

425.9

261.4

277.5

308.7

Environment/ animals

International affairs

Arts, culture, and humanities

Public-society benefit

Health

Human services

Foundations

Education

Religion

1969–1973 1974–1978 1979–1983 1984–1988 1989–1993 1994–1998 1999–2003 2004–2008

 

Giving to all subsectors has increased over time. Growth rates nearly always exceed the rate of inflation in all subsectors. This is most noticeable with the growth in giving to all subsectors since 1999. The period from 1999 through 2003 saw double-digit rates of growth in giving in every subsector when compared with the prior period (1994 to 1998).

One consistent exception to growth in the early years was in contributions to human services. These declined consistently from the 1969–1973 period through the 1989–1993 period. They have climbed, however, since the 1994–1998 period.

Many of the charities that provide human services are also funded through allocations from other charities, such as United Way, Jewish federations, and freestanding donor-advised funds like Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund or National Christian Foundation. These combined purpose funds are in the public-society benefit subsector, which has one of the highest rates of growth in giving in the past decade (1999 through 2008).

In the most recent five-year span (2004 to 2008), charitable contributions increased by 7 to 10 percent (adjusted for inflation) for religion, foundations, human services, health, and environment. One subsector saw a much lower rate of change: arts, culture, and humanities ( 4 percent increase in 2004–2008 compared with 1999–2003). Three saw faster rates of change from the 1999–2003 period to the 2004–2008 period. These are: Education ( 14 percent increase); public-society benefit ( 19 percent increase); and international affairs ( 40 percent increase).