The Give.org Special Donor Trust Report: Donor Participation that was released on July 5^th identified the top reasons given by people who stopped or decreased their contributions to charities over the past five years, including a sentiment that wealthier people should give instead. This post will focus on survey participants who report increasing their contributions.

Among donors who maintained or increased their contributions to charity, most participants said giving makes them feel good (57%) or they think they can make a difference by giving to a charity (49%). As shown in the chart below, Gen Zers (18-24), Millennials (25-40), and Gen Xers (41-56) were most likely to say they increased their giving because they want to be part of something bigger. Boomers (57-75) and Matures (76-93) were most likely to say everyone should contribute or that their faith calls for it.

Reasons why donors maintained or increased their contributions to charity:

People who increased their contributions to charities are most likely to report highly positive experiences as a participant or recipient in a charity program. They are also most likely to feel connected to their community.

In addition, people who said they increased their contributions to charity are most likely to say it is essential to trust a charity before giving and have the highest portion of respondents that highly trust charity.

Percentage of people that rate the importance of trust in giving vs. the percentage of people that highly trust charities: 

The above charts bring attention to two themes that could help encourage more contributions. Charities could help potential donors recognize that their support can help them be part of a larger community and cause. Also, strengthening trust can lead to more confidence in giving.

For additional details and insights on these survey results, we welcome you to review the full report here.

Heart of Giving Podcast

In this week’s Heart of Giving Podcast, Art Taylor, President & CEO, BBB Wise Giving Alliance, discusses how he benefitted from affirmative action and offers thoughts on the importance of DEIA for the charitable sector.

Recent Reports

We are always working with charities to publish or update reports for donors. Visit Give.org or local BBBs to check out any charity before giving. Our recently evaluated charities include:

• American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

• CARE USA

• Environmental Defense Fund

Finally, remember to let us know by going to give.org/charity-inquiry if you are interested in seeing a report on a charity not on the list and we will do our best to produce one.