BY THE NUMBERS
2020 contributions: $471.44 billion by source of contributions
- Giving by individuals comprised 69 percent of total giving in 2020.1
- Giving by foundations—which includes grants made by independent, community, and operating foundations—amounted to 19 percent of all gifts made in 2020. 2
- Giving by bequest accounted for 9 percent of all gifts made in 2020.
- Giving by corporations comprised 4 percent of total giving in 2020.
2020 contributions: $471.44 billion by type of recipient organization
- Religious organizations received the largest share of charitable dollars in 2020, at 28 percent of total giving.3
- The education subsector comprised the second-largest portion of charitable dollars in 2020, receiving 15 percent of total gifts.
- Human services organizations ranked third in total gifts received, at 14 percent of charitable dollars in 2020.
- Gifts to grantmaking foundations—including independent, community, and operating foundations—comprised the fourth-largest share of charitable dollars in 2020, amounting to 12 percent of total giving.
- Comprising the fifth-largest portion of charitable dollars in 2020, public-society benefit organizations received 10 percent of total giving.
- The health subsector ranked sixth in total gifts received, at 9 percent of charitable dollars in 2020.
- The international affairs subsector ranked seventh in total gifts received, amounting to 5 percent of charitable dollars in 2020.
- Arts, culture, and humanities organizations received the eighth-largest portion of charitable dollars in 2020, at 4 percent of total giving.
- Comprising the ninth-largest share of charitable dollars in 2020, the environment and animals subsector received 3 percent of total gifts.
- Finally, gifts made directly to individuals amounted to 3 percent of total giving in 2020.
