Numbers, Numbers Everywhere

The Giving USA Foundation and the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University have released "Giving USA 2008: The Annual Report on Philanthropy for the Year 2007." The annual report estimates that $306.39 billion was given in 2007, exceeding $300 billion for the first time ever.

That is a 3.9% increase from 2006 (1% adjusted for inflation) and the researchers feel the increase is largely attributable to stock market performance in early 2007, overall growth in GDP, and increases in corporate and personal income.

Individual giving increased 2.7% (a drop of 0.1% adjusted for inflation) to an estimated $229 billion dollars. Corporate gifts rose 1.9% (a drop of 0.9% adjusted for inflation) to $15.69 billion dollars. Another key growth area in the study was Foundation giving, which increased by 10.3% (7.3% adjusted for inflation) to $38.52 billion dollars. Charitable bequests also grew by 6.9% (4% adjusted for inflation) to $23.15 billion given in 2007.

The Giving USA report also looks at where donations went in 2007. Here's a breakdown:

Religious Organizations - $102.32 billion (up 4.7% / 1.8% inflation-adjusted)
Education - $43.32 billion (up 6.4% / 3.4% inflation-adjusted)
Human Services - $29.64 billion (up 8.4% / 5.4% inflation-adjusted)
Grant Making Foundations - $27.73 billion (down 9.4% / down 11.9% inflation adjusted)
Health - $23.15 billion (up 5.4% / 2.4% inflation-adjusted)
Public-Society Benefit - $22.65 billion (up 5.8% / 2.9% inflation-adjusted)
Arts, Culture, and the Humanities - $13.67 billion (up 7.8% / 4.8% inflation-adjusted)
International Affairs - $13.22 billion (up 16.1% / 12.9% inflation-adjusted)
Environment and Animals - $6.96 billion (up 10.8% / 7.7% inflation-adjusted)
Deductions carried over and other unallocated giving - $23.73 billion

A couple of important things to point out in the numbers. This is the first year that religious and faith-based organizations have raised more than $100 billion. The International Affairs category was up substantially and points to a more "worldly" perspective among millennial donors that should be kept in mind. The same could be said for Environmental and Animal Welfare organizations that also say a large increase in giving during 2007.