What Is Average Charitable Contributions By Income In The U.S.?

Average charitable contributions by income reveal a lot about giving trends; income-partners.net will guide you to comprehend giving patterns, locate potential partnerships, and boost income. Discover how diverse income groups contribute to charitable causes and leverage these insights to create successful collaborations, expand your professional network, and unlock new revenue streams. Maximize your earning potential today with strategic partnership opportunities, revenue growth strategies, and effective business collaborations.

1. Understanding Average Charitable Contributions

The average charitable contribution is a statistical measure reflecting the typical amount of money or assets that individuals or households donate to charitable organizations. This average can be calculated across an entire population or within specific demographic groups, such as income brackets, age groups, or geographic regions. Understanding average charitable contributions is crucial for several reasons: it provides insights into philanthropic trends, helps nonprofits tailor their fundraising strategies, and allows policymakers to assess the impact of tax incentives on charitable giving. Let’s dive into the details of how these contributions are distributed and what factors influence them.

1.1. What Factors Influence Average Charitable Contributions?

Several factors influence the amount and frequency of charitable giving. These include:

Income Level: Higher-income individuals tend to donate larger amounts, although those with lower incomes often give a higher percentage of their earnings.
Age: Giving patterns vary across generations, with older individuals typically donating more than younger ones.
Education: Higher levels of education are often correlated with increased charitable giving.
Religious Affiliation: Religious beliefs and practices frequently encourage charitable giving, influencing both the amount and the causes supported.
Tax Incentives: Tax deductions for charitable donations can incentivize giving, particularly for higher-income individuals.
Personal Values: An individual’s personal values and beliefs about the importance of giving back to the community significantly impact their charitable behavior.
Economic Conditions: Economic downturns can reduce the overall amount of charitable giving, while periods of prosperity tend to increase it.

Understanding these factors allows for a more nuanced analysis of average charitable contributions and their implications for society.

2. General Charitable Statistics in the U.S.

Charitable giving is a significant aspect of American culture, with a long history of individuals and organizations supporting various causes. Over 80% of all donations to charities and nonprofit organizations in the U.S. come from individuals, showing that individual donors are a crucial part of the philanthropic landscape. According to The Philanthropy Roundtable, Americans give seven times more than their European counterparts, highlighting a unique aspect of American society and tradition: entrepreneurial spirit, social consciousness, and religion.

2.1. What Percentage of American Households Give to Charity?

About 60% of American households participate in some form of charitable giving, according to The Philanthropy Roundtable. This shows that a significant portion of the population is actively involved in supporting charitable causes. Understanding this percentage is essential for nonprofits as they tailor their outreach and fundraising efforts.

2.2. Did 2020 Break or Follow Trends in Charitable Giving?

The trend of increased charitable donations that started in 2010 continued in 2020, even with the global COVID-19 pandemic. Charity Navigator reports that Americans have given more every year since 1977, except for 1987, 2008, and 2009. The pandemic may have even spurred more giving.

2.3. With All That Religious Tradition, Who Gives the Most?

While Jewish people give the most individually of the three major religions, the diversity of America’s religious makeup makes determining a winner among religious charitable donations by religion difficult to pinpoint. According to a recent study on Islamic philanthropy, Jews and Muslims donate more to public society benefit organizations involved in civil rights and social inequalities than their Christian and non-Christian neighbors.

Among Christian groups, Mormons give the most overall. Evangelicals, then Protestants, and then American Catholics do more annual giving to families, children, and human services and causes. Jewish people donate money more to non-Jewish organizations than other religions give to groups outside their faiths. Since their giving habits are as varied as their beliefs and traditions, it is nearly impossible to say who gives the most or which denomination or religion is the most charitable.

3. Average Charitable Contributions: The Numbers

The average annual charity donation for Americans in 2020 was $737, according to Giving USA. This figure, however, can be misleading due to the wide range of donation amounts across different income levels and types of donors. For example, high-net-worth families donated an average of $29,269, while the rest of the general population donated only $2,514. The average online donation is $177, and nonprofit websites receive an average of $1.13 from each visitor. These statistics highlight the disparity in giving amounts and the importance of considering various factors when analyzing charitable contributions.

3.1. How Do Donation Methods Affect Average Contributions?

Donation methods significantly influence the average amount given. Online donations, for example, tend to be smaller, averaging around $177, while donations made through more traditional methods, such as checks or direct transfers, often involve larger sums. Nonprofit websites also play a role, with each visitor contributing an average of $1.13. These differences highlight the need for nonprofits to diversify their fundraising strategies to cater to different donor preferences and maximize overall contributions.

3.2. Goods vs. Monetary Donations: What’s the Impact on Averages?

Many Americans donate goods to organizations like Goodwill, the Salvation Army, and local charity groups such as the Humane Society and food pantries. However, they often do not calculate the monetary value of these donations. Including the value of donated goods would likely increase the average charitable contribution. This oversight suggests that current averages may underestimate the true extent of charitable giving in the U.S.

4. Charitable Giving by Month

December is the most popular month for charitable giving, and both December of 2019 and 2020 were no exceptions to this rule. Several factors contribute to this trend, including the holiday season, year-end tax planning, and increased awareness of charitable needs. According to Blackbaud Institute, March, April, and May of 2020 saw significant declines in many sectors of charitable giving as Americans were in the teeth of the pandemic.

Nonprofit Source reports that charities with recurring monthly giving program members receive $52 on average each month. Donors that set up some sort of recurring monthly donation give 42% more than one-time givers, claims Nonprofit Source.

4.1. Why Do Charities Ask for $19 a Month?

Charities ask for $19 a month for two reasons: human psychology and the IRS. Psychologists who study why and how we buy have determined that using prices ending in the numbers 4, 7, and 9 are more likely to be successful than prices ending in 0 or 5. Our brains perceive the 4, 7, and 9 prices to be cheaper and more affordable than other numbers. We see $19 as easier on our wallets than $20.

The IRS requires charities and nonprofits to give donors receipts for annual donations totaling $250 or more. Asking for $19 monthly adds up to only $228 a year. This saves them from the cost and time needed to mail receipts to their many donors.

5. Charitable Giving Demographics

Understanding the demographics of charitable donors can provide valuable insights into giving patterns and motivations. Age, location, and income level are all significant factors that influence charitable giving.

5.1. What Age Group Gives the Most to Charities?

The average age of the U.S. donor is 64, putting them firmly in the Baby Boomer generation. This generation has accumulated wealth and a sense of responsibility to give back to their communities.

5.2. Where Do the Most Charitable People Live?

According to The Philanthropy Roundtable and the IRS, the most giving people in the U.S. live in Utah. More than half of the top ten states for total giving, however, are in the South.

Table: Top States for Charitable Giving

State	Giving as Percent of Gross Annual Income
Utah	6.6
Mississippi	5.0
Alabama	4.9
Tennessee	4.5
Georgia	4.2
South Carolina	4.1
Idaho	4.1
Oklahoma	3.9
Arkansas	3.9
North Carolina	3.6

These figures aren’t that surprising when you remember that Mormons and Evangelical Christians are some of the country’s biggest donors.

5.3. Why People Give to Charity

People give to charities for various reasons, which can be broadly categorized into intrinsic and extrinsic motivations.

Happiness: Scientific studies have proven that giving releases the “feel-good” chemical dopamine in the brain, so giving makes us happy. According to research from the University of Texas at Austin’s McCombs School of Business, in July 2025, dopamine provides satisfaction in helping others.
Empowerment: Donors feel empowered when they see their gifts actually doing the good the charity says they will.
Personal Connection: They have a personal or emotional connection to a cause.
Trust: The charity or nonprofit is one that donors can trust. The work actually gets done, a change is actually made, and they see it.
Community: They want to be a part of something bigger than themselves. Be it animal welfare, medical research, or foundations for the arts, culture, and humanities, donors feel as if they belong to a larger community and are making a difference.
Attention: The charity has caught their attention. Perhaps they’ve seen advertising for fundraising events in the community, or through Facebook fundraising tools, or heard about the charity through social media posts. The charity comes to their attention and they give.
Tax Benefits: Tax purposes. It’s not only corporations and wealthy households that donate money just for tax breaks. About one-third of all tax deductions for charitable donations are taken by those making $50,000 or less each year.

6. Charitable Giving by Income Group

Charitable giving patterns vary significantly across different income groups. The Tax Policy Center chart below reveals two surprising facts:

Those making less than $50,000 annually are the second-highest givers in terms of percentage of income.
Those making between $100,000 and $500,000 are least in total charitable giving in relation to gross income.

6.1. What is the Average Donation for Each Income Range?

Average giving varies greatly among income brackets, so it’s best to express the data visually in a chart, with charity statistics gathered by the IRS.

Table: Average Charitable Donation by Income Range

Income Range (Adjusted Gross Income)	Average Charitable Donation
Under $15,000	$1471
$15,000 to $29,999	$2,525
$30,000 to $49,999	$2,871
$50,000 to $99,999	$3,296
$100,000 to $199,999	$4,245
$200,000 to $249,999	$5,472
$250,000 or more	$21,264

7. Charitable Giving by Age Group

Each generation has its unique approach to charitable giving, influenced by their life experiences, values, and financial situations.

7.1. How Much Do Millennials Give to Charity?

Millennials give $481 to charity annually. 84% of millennials give to charity and nonprofits.

The average charity or nonprofit will have Millennials making up 5 to 10% of its donors. Millennials prefer to donate money through online platforms. They like setting up recurring donations. Over 40% who give do so with a monthly deduction to their credit or debit card. Millennials are also the most likely to use their mobile devices — their phones, tablets, and laptops — to research charities, donate money, and advocate for their latest cause.

Millennials tend to support the following charities:

Children’s charities
Health and medical nonprofits
Local places of worship
Human rights and international affairs groups

7.2. How Much Does Gen X Give to Charity?

The average Gen X donation totals $732, with 59% of Generation X being regular donors. While there are fewer Gen X donations than their younger Millennial counterparts, Gen Xers are more likely to start fundraising campaigns, as well as more likely to volunteer their time and efforts to worthy causes. And while Millennials are most often influenced by social media posts and online donations, Gen Xers report that email is the most influential method of reaching them.

Gen Xers give to the following:

Local social and human services organizations
Animal organizations
Children’s charities
Local places of worship

7.3. How Much Do Baby Boomers Donate to Charity?

Baby Boomers are quite generous, with a total giving of an average of $1,212 per person per year. That’s nearly three-fourths – 72% – of the entire Baby Boomer Generation, accounting for 43% of all donations made each year. The Baby Boomers are the old hippies of the 1960s, and many who were activists then are still supporting causes today. While their long hair may be thinning and even gone, their love of social justice, world peace, and environmental issues is still going strong.

This may explain why Baby Boomers’ donations are the biggest supporters of:

Local social services nonprofits
Animal organizations
Children’s charities
Human rights and international affairs
Local places of worship

7.4. How Much Does the Silent Generation Give to Charity?

The Silent Generation – those born between 1927 and 1946 – give an average of $1,367 annually per person. 88% of them are donors. While they make up only 11% of the U.S. population, they account for 26% of all giving. They prefer to give to organizations that reach them via direct mail and to causes that they see in the news.

Silent Generation donations support:

Veterans’ causes
Local social services
Emergency and disaster relief fundraising events and efforts
Local places of worship

7.5. The Four Generations and 2020 Giving

Of the 12 sub-sectors of nonprofit organizations used for most nonprofit fundraising statistics, only two saw significant donation growth last year. The pandemic increased giving to local human and social services organizations by 12%, and faith-based giving grew by 3%.

The biggest “losers” among American charities last year were medical researchers and arts and culture subsectors. Medical researchers may have suffered because with the government’s investing in COVID-19 research, donors may have not felt the need. Another possibility is that COVID-19’s domination of the health news may have caused donors to overlook other medical causes. And with all the COVID-19 restrictions, many arts, culture, and humanities groups simply could not perform, eliminating their ability to raise funds.

8. Religious & Church Charitable Giving Statistics

Religious giving is a significant component of overall charitable contributions in the United States. Many individuals and families regularly donate to their local places of worship and faith-based organizations, supporting a wide range of activities and services.

8.1. Most Charitable Giving by Religion

Jewish people give the most of all the religious faithful, averaging $2,526 annually, to Protestants’ $1,749, Muslims’ $1,178, and Catholics’ $1,142. Jewish and Muslim donors tend to prefer to donate money to social and human rights organizations, while Christian giving choices vary by denomination. 32% of all donations made in the U.S. are to a local place of worship or a faith-based nonprofit.

8.2. How Much Does the Average Family Give to Their Local Place of Worship?

The average American gives $17 weekly to their local place of worship. However, 37% of the weekly “faithful” don’t give anything at all. According to NonProfit Source, only 5% of congregants give regularly.

8.3. How Much Do Religious Organizations Give to Charity?

There’s no way of knowing what percent of revenue religious organizations give back. The IRS does not require religious organizations to report on what they give. What we know of religious giving comes from data collected by the IRS on 128 million faithful givers.

8.4. How Much Money Do Religious Organizations Make Annually?

Religious organizations receive around one-third of all monetary donations annually. In 2020, this came out to $128.17 billion. This data came from a survey of millions of IRS tax returns. And while religious giving has remained steady at right around the 30% mark for several years now, future trends may not hold. Religious affiliation and regular attendance are dropping, with just 36% of American adults claiming weekly worship.

9. Volunteer Fundraising Statistics, Facts & Trends

Volunteering is another important aspect of charitable giving, with millions of Americans donating their time and skills to support various causes. Understanding volunteer trends can help nonprofits better engage and mobilize their supporters.

9.1. How Many People Volunteer in the U.S.?

77.34 million adults volunteered over 1.6 billion hours, claims Americorps’ Volunteering in America report. That’s 30% of the adult population.

9.2. How Many Hours Do Americans Volunteer Each Week?

According to Americorps, the average volunteer hours per week of American volunteers is 3.5 hours, for an estimated total of $255 billion in unpaid labor and services.

9.3. U.S. Volunteerism Trends

Volunteers are getting younger, female, and better educated.

More volunteers looked like this in 2020 than ever before:

Married
Female
Aged 35-44
White
Some sort of higher/secondary education
With children under 18

9.4. Volunteer Fundraising Demographics: What Age Group Volunteers the Most?

In general, the Baby Boomer generation volunteers the most overall, but in 2020, the younger Gen X and older Millennial moms took the crown away.

10. Corporate Giving Statistics

Corporate giving is a significant source of funding for nonprofits, with many businesses donating a portion of their profits to support charitable causes. Understanding corporate giving trends can help nonprofits build stronger relationships with businesses and secure more funding.

10.1. Average Corporate Giving in the United States

Corporate donations to nonprofits totaled $24.8 billion in 2020, a decrease of 6%, according to Giving USA’s report. Corporate giving is closely tied to pre-tax profits, while individual giving is more closely tied to the stock market. The stock market was up last year, while many corporations saw profits decline due to the pandemic.

10.2. Who Are America’s Most Charitable Organizations?

Pfizer was America’s most charitable corporation in 2020, as reported by the Chronicle of Philanthropy. Rounding out the top five most charitable organizations in the U.S. are:

5: Google

4: Walmart

3: Merck and Company

2: Gilead Sciences

1: Pfizer

10.3. Corporate Giving to Religious Organizations

Kroger is listed as Double the Donation Organization’s best corporation for giving to churches and other religious organizations. They give millions in money and products to hunger relief, homeless relief, and other programs run by local religious organizations.

11. School Fundraising Statistics

School fundraising is an important source of revenue for many schools, helping to fund extracurricular activities, equipment, and other essential resources. Understanding school fundraising trends can help schools develop more effective fundraising strategies.

11.1. School Fundraising in 2020

In 2020, school fundraising fell 4.6% for K-12 schools according to Giving USA. Schools normally take in around $5000 per school each year. The pandemic’s closing of the schools likely caused the decline.

12. Online Giving Trends

Online giving has become increasingly popular in recent years, offering a convenient and efficient way for individuals to donate to their favorite charities. Understanding online giving trends can help nonprofits optimize their online fundraising efforts.

12.1. Online Charitable Giving Growth by Year

Online revenue from online giving grew 20% in 2020 — likely due to the pandemic. Every sector saw at least a 15% increase over previous years as the charitable giving growth rate increased by 20%.

12.2. Giving Tuesday Statistics

Giving Tuesday matching funds have grown every year since 2012, with $380 million raised last year.

12.2.1. What Is Giving Tuesday?

Giving Tuesday is the first Tuesday after the Thanksgiving holiday.

12.2.2. When Did Giving Tuesday Start?

Giving Tuesday started in 2012, by the United Nations Foundation in New York City.

12.3. Online Crowdfunding Statistics

Crowdfunding has emerged as a powerful tool for nonprofits to raise money online. Platforms like GoFundMe and Kickstarter have enabled nonprofits to reach a wider audience and secure funding for specific projects and initiatives.

12.3.1. The Most Successful Crowdfunding Nonprofit Campaigns

Two of the most successful nonprofit crowdfunding campaigns have been operated by Save the Children and the American Red Cross, raising $20 million and $4.7 million respectively.

Crowdfunding stats for nonprofits show that crowdfunding success rates largely depend on four things:

Social media sharing – the rate of success rises with every social media contact – 10 friends increase 9%, 100 friends increase success by 20%, etc.
Campaign descriptions of 300 to 500 words
Regular updates for supporters – updates every 5 days result in 3X more donations
Videos – campaigns with video appeals raise 150% more than those without

13. How Many Nonprofits Are There in the World?

According to the National Center for Charitable Statistics, there are 1.54 million nonprofits registered with the IRS. This vast number of organizations highlights the diverse range of causes and missions that individuals can support.

Conclusion

In a year of such uncertainty and chaos as 2020, we can continue to give, and to give more than ever before, there’s no doubt American’s generosity knows no bounds, gaining strength even amongst great adversity, social unrest, and political divisiveness. That, we believe, is the most surprising thing about this report. And yet, perhaps it isn’t. This is America, after all.

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FAQ: Understanding Charitable Contributions

What is considered a charitable contribution?
- A charitable contribution is a donation made to a nonprofit organization that has been approved by the IRS as tax-exempt. It can be in the form of money, property, or goods.
How much can you deduct for charitable contributions?
- The amount you can deduct for charitable contributions depends on your adjusted gross income (AGI) and the type of donation. Generally, you can deduct up to 60% of your AGI for cash contributions and up to 50% for other types of donations.
What records do I need to keep for charitable contributions?
- You need to keep records to support your charitable contributions, such as receipts from the charity, bank statements, or written acknowledgments. For donations of property, you may need a qualified appraisal.
Can I deduct contributions to individuals?
- No, you cannot deduct contributions made directly to individuals, even if they are in need. To be deductible, contributions must be made to a qualified charitable organization.
Are there any limits on deducting donations of property?
- Yes, there are limits on deducting donations of property. The deduction is generally limited to the fair market value of the property, and for certain types of property, such as appreciated property, there may be additional rules.
How do I find out if an organization is a qualified charity?
- You can use the IRS’s online tool, the Exempt Organizations Select Check, to verify whether an organization is a qualified charity.
Can I deduct the value of my time spent volunteering?
- No, you cannot deduct the value of your time spent volunteering, but you can deduct certain out-of-pocket expenses, such as mileage and travel costs, if they are directly related to your volunteer work.
What is a donor-advised fund?
- A donor-advised fund (DAF) is a charitable giving vehicle that allows you to make a contribution, receive an immediate tax deduction, and then recommend grants to qualified charities over time.
How does the standard deduction affect charitable giving?
- The standard deduction may reduce the incentive for some taxpayers to make charitable contributions, as they may not be able to itemize their deductions and exceed the standard deduction amount.
What is the impact of tax law changes on charitable giving?
- Tax law changes, such as those made in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, can impact charitable giving by altering the tax benefits associated with making donations.