The Giving USA Report for 2018 is Ready to View
… What does this report tell us for giving in 2017? Total giving topped $400 billion for the first time. Billion. With a B. Perhaps hitting common wisdom, over 70% of giving every year still comes from individuals. And when you add the 9% from individual giving by bequests (wills), and the estimated ½ of foundation giving that comes from Donor Advised Funds and personal foundations, then we are talking about 87% of giving coming from people. Conversely, then, not very much giving comes from corporations or foundations. Think about that the next time someone says, “Foundation grants are our saving grace.” However, writing grants and asking for corporate gifts have their place. However, meeting with people appears to provide a pretty good Return On Investment of time and resources. Giving to Religion is 31% of total giving; while this number is lower than in the past when nearly 50% of all gifts benefitted religion, it is important to note that this category only includes religious organizations like churches, synagogues, etc. Schools, like our 19 Lutheran schools in NE Indiana, are listed in the next category, Education, which is 14% of total giving (also includes universities, etc.) Therefore, while an organization may be religious, it will be classified by its operational sector. What does this mean? While giving to churches may be decreasing, giving to church-related organizations is holding steady.It also means that fundraising for cute kids in Lutheran schools should be (relatively) easy! Get out there and ask, folks, and feature stories and pictures of the students.