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Charitable giving by individual Americans in 2018 suffered its biggest drop since the Great Recession of 2008-09, in part because of Republican-backed changes in tax policy, according to the latest comprehensive report on Americans’ giving pattern.

The Giving USA report said individual giving fell by 1.1%, from $295 billion in 2017 to $292 billion last year. It ended a four-year streak of increases, and was the largest decline since a 6.1% drop in 2009.

Experts involved with the report said 2018 was a complex year for charitable giving, with a relatively strong economy overall and a volatile stock market. Giving by corporations and foundations increased, so that total giving – including donations from individuals – edged up by 0.7 percent to $427.7 billion.

Among various factors affecting charitable giving was a federal tax policy change that doubled the standard deduction. More than 45 million households itemized deductions in 2016, according to Giving USA, and that number likely dropped sharply in 2018, reducing an incentive for charitable giving….

Stacy Palmer, editor of the Chronicle of Philanthropy, a magazine that covers the nonprofit world, suggested that the changes would have relatively less impact on charities that rely on wealthy donors, and greater impact on social-service providers and other charities that get broad support from middle-class Americans.

“Charities who depend on them are really worried,” said Palmer….

Among the nine charitable sectors identified by Giving USA, there were mixed results. Donations were up for nonprofits involved in international affairs and environmental or animal-welfare issues. Giving to foundations was down, as was giving to education, to religion and to public-society benefit organizations – groups which work on such issues as voter education, civil rights, civil liberties and consumer rights.

Giving to religion – perennially the biggest sector – is estimated to have declined by 1.5% in 2018 (a decrease of 3.9% adjusted for inflation), with a total of $124.52 billion in contributions….

(Excerpted from The Washington Times article by David Crary.)

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Debbie Gardner
June 27, 2019

I wander if giving has not decreased so much as it has changed. Organized religion may not be where people are giving as much as people are giving to independent people like alternative news journalists & other things that cannot be traced by the government. Just because giving isn’t showing up so much with the irs doesn’t mean people aren’t giving cash & not taking 501c3 deductions. My family is changing the way we give & the way we are giving wouldn’t be able to be traced by the government.

Evelyn Rodriguez -Leonard
June 26, 2019

This is the first time heard of them. Sorry about this report. Honestly, we gives those who are needed the most; in Africa.

Shonda
June 25, 2019

This could be incorrect statistic, do that they raised tax cuts. Meaning single people got an automatic $12,000 deduction, so unless you were able to give more than 12,000 there was no need to itemize you’re giving. Under Democrats they only allowed 3-$4000 tax deduction for singles, depending on the year, so charitable giving over the tithe had to be itemized reporting for tax deduction. So it depends on who created the statistic, the government or the actual charities themselves?

Dennis Dubendorf
June 25, 2019

Every body is hitting me up for a donation. I gave to several and now every day, every day, by email and phone their asking for more. I don’t have more. I’m on a fixed income. I’m a faithful tither and give occasionally for special needs throughout our denomination. I feel terrible that I cannot give more because there are some awesome charities out there that need help. But I’m at the point, I need to unsubscribe from those worthy charities.

Lewis Turner
June 25, 2019

We can look at many possibilities of why charitable giving has dropped. It is time for our churches to find Biblical ways to challenge people to give. One that stands out–is how do we receive offerings? Most when the offerings are received, ask the Lord to bless the use of those offerings. RARELY do we hear a blessing for the giver. Such a blessing over time can enable the giver to be able to give more.

I have seen this happen in churches, and when they are short on income, usually when the offering is received–no one blesses the giver.

Perhaps we need to learn to Bless the giver. God loves a cheerful giver–and I believe He want to bless them–yet no one is blessing them.

    Pam
    June 26, 2019

    WOW I love that thought. Now I will being thanking G-D for each who has by faith released their control of their money to the power of G-D our father. He is as you said faithful to respond. You have blessed me with your comment

Mrs D
June 24, 2019

For some of us our charitable giving was unaffected by the tax cuts, but with significantly larger standard deductions, itemizing charitable contributions may not have had an impact on the amount of taxes owed. That doesn’t necessarily mean that significant giving didn’t occur, but in view of other financial considerations it simply may not have been included as part of the tax computation this year.

Bruce Boy
June 24, 2019

I believe that for some in Congress this decline in giving, especially to prolife, pro traditional family, and religious organizations that don’t align with political correctness standards, was a strong for their support of the significant increase in the standard deduction. It’s also a God-designed test of true charitable motivation.

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