NEW YORK — As the year comes to a close, most Americans are not planning their end-of-year charitable giving according to a recent AP-NORC poll. Despite the influx of fundraising campaigns by nonprofits that typically rely on December donations to meet budget goals, only 18% of U.S. adults report they will make charitable donations before the year ends.
Conducted in early December, the survey revealed that about half of the adults had already made their charitable contributions for the year, while 6% indicated they would give before the month is out, leaving 30% who haven’t donated and do not plan to. Financial constraints and competing priorities were cited as significant factors.
Notably, individuals facing tighter budgets due to reasons such as inflation, sluggish income growth, and various economic pressures are finding it challenging to give, leading to a decline in the number of people donating. Despite tax benefits introduced by recent legislation to incentivize charitable contributions, many have yet to engage meaningfully.
“December is a very important deadline for donors,” said Dianne Chipps Bailey of Bank of America's Philanthropic Solutions, emphasizing the significant portion of annual giving that occurs this month.
Particularly concerning is the contrast between charitable giving and consumer spending during holiday shopping events. Less than 10% of Americans contributed on Giving Tuesday, while nearly half engaged in Black Friday shopping, indicating where priorities lie.
Chuck Dietrick, a Texan planning to donate before year's end, shared his approach of distributing smaller amounts to various organizations rather than making large donations to a single cause. His perspective reflects a broader trend of individuals desiring to help meaningful causes while navigating financial limitations.
The poll indicates that federal funding cuts and government shutdown did not significantly deter donor contributions, suggesting a gap between individual philanthropic efforts and the growing needs of various nonprofit organizations. Overall, while some Americans have opted to give differently or more selectively, the overall trend indicates a worrying decline in year-end charitable donations.
