Working & The Economy

Charitable giving jumps in 2020 | The Numbers Racket

By: Cassie Miller - December 28, 2020 6:30 am

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In the horrible, no good, rotten year that has been 2020, people still found time – and the resources – to do good.

A report conducted by the Association of Fundraising Professionals and the Center for Nonprofits and Philanthropy at the Urban Institute, shows that charitable giving increased by 7.5 percent in the first half of 2020.

Using data from 2,500 nonprofits, the report found that the total number of donors increased 7.2 percent compared with the same period last year and that the donor retention rate rose 1.8 percent.

The Giving Breakdown

Donations of less than $250 jumped 19.2 percent in the first half of 2020, the report found.

Donations of between $250 and $999 increased by 8.1 percent.

Major donations of at least $1,000 increased by 6.4 percent.

So how does charitable giving in 2020 stack up compared to 2019?

The report found that total donations made through June amounted to 47.3 percent of the total donations for all of 2019. To compare, total donations made through June 2019 accounted for 44 percent of last year’s total donations.

What does it all mean?

Strong relationships with supporters and engaging with existing donors are key to encouraging more donations, the report concluded.

In fact, donor retention rose 1.8 percent in the first half of 2020.

Repeat donors increased by 3.6 percent, and recaptured donors jumped to 15.7 percent.

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Cassie Miller

A native Pennsylvanian, Cassie Miller worked for various publications across the Midstate before joining the team at the Pennsylvania Capital-Star. In her previous roles, she has covered everything from local sports to the financial services industry. Miller has an extensive background in magazine writing, editing and design. She is a graduate of Penn State University where she served as the campus newspaper’s photo editor. She is currently pursuing her master’s degree in professional journalism at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. In addition to her role at the Capital-Star, Miller enjoys working on her independent zines, Dead Air and Infrared. Follow her on Twitter: @Wordsby_CassieM.