One-fifth of donors in a new survey said they won’t be giving to charity until the economy is back up and running. Fifty-three percent said they plan to continue giving but will do so “more carefully” than before.
The remaining 28 percent said they planned to maintain their giving despite the pandemic.
The consulting firm Dunham & Company commissioned the poll by Campbell Rinker, a marketing research firm that caters to nonprofits, polled 630 U.S. adults from April 17 to 20. Participants had given at least $20 to charity in 2019.
The survey found that those who attend religious services at least weekly, self-described conservatives, and wealthy individuals were the most likely to say their giving activity wouldn’t change.
Older donors were more likely to maintain their giving level than younger donors. Baby Boomers were most likely to say they would maintain giving amounts, with 66 percent responding so. Only 40 percent of millennial donors said they planned to maintain their giving amounts, and 31 percent said they would reduce their giving.
“The most important giving demographics intend to continue to give,” said Rick Dunham, head of the Plano, Tex. marketing firm that caters to faith-based nonprofits and that commissioned the survey. “To me, that’s super encouraging.”
Rising Anxiety
The survey also suggests many Americans are feeling increased anxiety that could result in fewer donations to charities. Seven percent of donors said they had been unemployed or furloughed as a result of the Covid-19 economic disruptions.
Nearly 25 percent of households that typically donate to charity said they were finding it “very challenging or extremely challenging” to meet their financial obligations. Donors hit the hardest were those with a household income of $25,000 or less per year, 46 percent of whom said they were finding it “very or extremely challenging.” Thirty-four percent of minority households said they were struggling with their finances. Only 13 percent of households making more than $75,000 per year said they were struggling financially.
But 53 percent of donors said they were not facing financial challenges. Baby boomers were also not feeling the pain yet, with 72 percent saying they weren’t facing financial challenges.
Sixty percent of donors said American charities are doing “good or excellent work,” up from 48 percent in August 2018. During that 18-month span, the number of donors who said charities were doing “excellent work” increased from 8 percent to 12 percent.
