Check out last year’s charitable giving trends and get prepared for a new year of giving!

Charitable giving has been consistently increasing in the U.S. year after year. According to Giving USA’s latest report on charitable giving trends, last year was no exception: Total giving reached a record $471.44 billion in donations and grew by 5.1% overall.

In times of crisis, data shows us that Americans band together and donate more to charities. The pandemic combined with social and racial justice movements caused an outpouring of support that is reflected in the charitable giving trends.

Check out some of the key takeaways from the latest charitable giving report as we look toward next year’s trends!

Trend #1: Online giving is on the rise.

Online giving increased by more than 20% this past year—and younger donors make up a large portion of that. The numbers reflect that younger donors are giving through digital platforms more frequently, but in smaller amounts.

Additionally, a record 13% of fundraising came from online donations in 2020, which followed the trend of retail sales shifting to online during the pandemic. Charities that were able to pivot to online charitable giving reaped the rewards.

And about 30% of online gifts were made from a mobile device, making “giving on the go” a new trend to watch in the coming years.

Trend #2: Individuals still make up the largest share of total giving.

Individual donors continue to make up the largest share of total giving at $324.10 billion (an increase of 2.2%). However, foundations saw the biggest increase in giving this year with a rise of 17%.

Annual reports indicate that individuals will continue to feel empowered to donate, online and otherwise. Power to the people!

Trend #3: Giving to human services & public-society benefit orgs increased.

This year, charitable giving to human services organizations increased by 9.7%, and giving to public-society benefit organizations increased by 15.7%. The latter category includes a range of charities like civil rights organizations, United Ways, and more.

Given the social justice movements of 2020, this trend isn’t surprising as donors continue to help better their communities through donations.

Online Giving with Altruity

Altruity offers a simplified and streamlined way for individuals to make online donations to the charities of their choosing. From public-society benefit organizations to education institutions and veteran services, you can give back to all kinds of causes in one place!

If you want to get in on all the charitable giving action for 2021, please visit our Home page to learn more and then create your free profile today. Check out our blog for more resources!