Americans stepped up their charitable giving last year, according to new survey data from DealAid.org, a discount shopping website that donates a portion of sales to nonprofits. More than 70 percent of respondents said they made a charitable contribution last year, compared with roughly 62 percent who said they did in 2019 — increasing the donor population by nearly 15 percent. But while more people said they gave to charity last year, the average overall contribution fell roughly 8 percent year-over-year, from $379 in 2019 to $348 in 2020, the survey found.
DealAid asked 1,130 U.S. adults how much money they gave and how much time they volunteered to support charitable causes last year. It also asked respondents how they intended to give time and money to charity in 2021.
Health charities were the most popular recipients. More than 55 percent of donors said they gave to health-focused nonprofits in 2020.
Respondents who volunteered were most likely to say they gave their time to education causes.
Most respondents — nearly 72 percent — plan to donate to charity this year. What’s more, they expect to increase the amount they give by nearly 14 percent, upping it to a total of $396, on average. Respondents say they’re most likely to continue giving to health causes.
While roughly 38 percent of respondents plan to volunteer more next year, most said getting a Covid-19 vaccine won’t change their desire to give their time. Nearly 62 percent said mass vaccinations wouldn’t cause them to volunteer more. Among respondents who did not volunteer last year, most cited work as the reason.
Among the other findings:
- Nearly 88 percent of respondents who did not give to charity in 2020 said they didn’t contribute because they couldn’t spare the cash.
- The temporary changes to the charitable tax deduction — which allows single people to deduct up to $300 even if they don’t itemize — did little to incentivize giving, the survey found. Just over 16 percent of respondents said the change, which was extended for the 2021 tax year, encouraged them to give more.
