Wealthy Give More Overseas, Less to Education, Religion
By Robert Frank
It is no surprise that charitable giving by the wealthy declined last year. According to a reportreleased today by Giving USA and the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, individual giving fell an estimated 0.4% in 2009, to $227.41 billion–a fairly mild drop. Total giving, by the wealthy, companies, foundations and bequests, fell 3.9% to $303.75 billion.
- Philanthropists like Philip Berber are focusing their charity overseas.
More significant was the shift in where the dollars are going.
According to the report, charitable donors are moving away from the the standard charitable causes–religion, education and the arts–to focus their money on health, human services and the overseas poor.
Here are some of the new winners (and losers) in philanthropy:
THE LOSERS
RELIGION–Giving to religion still accounts for 33% of total giving (the largest sector). But it declined 0.7% to $100.95 billion.
EDUCATION–Giving to education declined 3.6% to an estimated $40 billion. It was the second straight year giving to education fell.
PUBLIC SOCIETY–Giving for public-society benefit organizations declined 4.6% to $22.77 billion.
ARTS–Giving to arts, culture and humanities organizations dropped 2.4% to $12.34 billion.
THE WINNERS
HUMAN SERVICES–Giving to human services is estimated at $27.08 billion, an increase of 2.3%. It now receives about 9% of the total.
HEALTH–Giving for health increased 3.8% to $22.46 billion and now accounts for 7% of the total.