Charitable Contributions Breakdown
LeadershipIt’s always interesting to see where charitable contributions come from as you view the statistics from the Giving USA report. Here is the breakdown:
Where The Money Comes From
* Individual Giving – $229.3 Billion – 75% of the total in 2008
* Foundation Grants – $41.2 Billion – 13% of the total
* Charitable Bequests – $22.7 Billion – 7% of the total
* Corporate Giving – $14.5 Billion – 5% of the total
Ok, where the money comes from is interesting, but where do those charitable dollars actually go? Here is the eye-opening breakdown by category for 2008:
Where The Money Goes
* Religion – $106.9 Billion – 35% of the total in 2008
* Education – $40.9 Billion – 13% of the total
* Foundations – $32.7 Billion – 11% of the total
* Public-Society Benefit – $23.9 Billion – 8% of the total
* Health Organizations – $21.6 Billion – 7% of the total
* International Affairs – $13.3 Billion – 4% of the total
* Arts/Culture/Humanities – $12.8 Billion – 4% of the total
* Environment/Animals – $6.6 Billion – 2% of the total
(The remainder of dollars given were not categorized in the summary provided by the report.)
This is the second year that giving to religion has exceeded $100 billion. Religious gifts account for an estimated one-half of all individual giving, not counting gifts made through bequests (5.6 percent) or family foundations (about 3 percent).
About Rusty Lewis
As a church leader, there’s nothing more frustrating than not having the funding to do what God’s calling you to do. But when you think about trying to address that problem, you feel overwhelmed, you dread the potential pushback from your congregation, and you’re not sure where to turn for help. Over the last 18 years, I’ve helped more than 120 churches close the gap between their current financial reality and what they need to move forward in ministry.