Giving USA estimated that charitable giving in the United States was $427.71 billion overall in 2018, a less-than-1-percent increase over the $424.74 billion for 2017, according to preliminary estimates from “Giving USA 2019: The Annual Report on Philanthropy for the Year 2018,” released last month. Adjusted for inflation, giving was actually down 1.7 percent over the the previous year, with the $435.11 billion in 2017 still the highest total ever.
The report is published annually by Giving USA Foundation, a public service initiative of The Giving Institute and researched and written by the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University/Purdue University (IUPUI) in Indianapolis, Ind. This month’s episode includes a panel discussion examining what the 2018 giving data mean for nonprofits and what to expect moving forward. The episode is an edited version of a webinar hosted by The NonProfit Times, “A Deep Dive Into 2019 Giving Data,”moderated by Paul Clolery, vice president and editorial director. The panel included:
- Una Osili, Ph.D., associate dean for research and international programs at the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis;
- Robert Lynch, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts; and,
- Jacob Harold, executive vice president at GuideStar, by Candid.
2018 proved to be a complex year for philanthropy. While the economy continued a steady pace, stock market volatility at year end likely affected some giving decisions by donors, and the first year of tax reform certainly played a part too. In addition to reviewing the specific areas where giving was up or giving was down in 2018, panelists explained why some corners of the nonprofit sector saw greater success in giving, how technology will continue to impact fundraising, and what Millennials aging into their prime philanthropy years might mean for bequests, planned giving and other aspects of charitable giving.
The complete hour-long webinar can be accessed here.
