GITNUXREPORT 2026

Charity Donation Statistics

Charitable giving continues globally, though its impact varies widely between different countries and causes.

Min-ji Park

Research Analyst focused on sustainability and consumer trends.

First published: Feb 13, 2026

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Statistic 1

Households earning under $50K donated 5.5% of income in 2022

Statistic 2

72% of US donors in 2023 were female

Statistic 3

Millennials donated $120 billion annually in 2022, 25% of total giving

Statistic 4

Boomers (age 57-75) gave 40% of total US donations in 2022, averaging $4,200 each

Statistic 5

41% of Gen Z donated in 2023, compared to 51% of Boomers

Statistic 6

High-net-worth individuals (>$1M assets) donated 7.5% of income in 2022

Statistic 7

Married donors give 15% more than singles, averaging $3,500 vs $2,900 in 2022

Statistic 8

55% of donors with children under 18 donate monthly

Statistic 9

Black Americans donate 25% more of income than average (4.5%)

Statistic 10

60% of US donors are college-educated, giving 2x more than non-grads

Statistic 11

Rural donors give 10% higher percentage of income than urban (4.2% vs 3.8%)

Statistic 12

35% of donors aged 18-24 use mobile apps exclusively for giving

Statistic 13

Women donors prioritize health causes 20% more than men

Statistic 14

48% of Hispanic donors give to education, highest among groups

Statistic 15

Retirees donate 50% more frequently than working adults

Statistic 16

28% of low-income donors (<$25K) still give annually, averaging $200

Statistic 17

Corporate employees donate 3x more when matching is offered

Statistic 18

65% of frequent donors (monthly) are under 50

Statistic 19

LGBTQ+ donors give 15% higher to advocacy groups

Statistic 20

Veterans donate 30% more to military causes

Statistic 21

52% of self-employed donors give vs 45% employed

Statistic 22

Asian American donors average $5,000 annually, highest per capita

Statistic 23

70% of donors over 70 include charity in estate plans

Statistic 24

Parents donate 22% more to youth causes

Statistic 25

39% of non-religious donors still give to faith-based orgs

Statistic 26

Urban professionals (25-34) donate via payroll 18% of time

Statistic 27

Religion (humanists) donate 4% of income, similar to religious

Statistic 28

55% of donors give via mobile in 2023

Statistic 29

Recurring monthly donations up 25% since 2020 to 30% of donors

Statistic 30

72% of donors research charities online before giving

Statistic 31

Impulse giving accounts for 38% of all donations via digital

Statistic 32

Employer matching doubles donations for 40% of employees

Statistic 33

Text-to-give raised $1B in 2022 for US causes

Statistic 34

65% of donors prefer one-click checkout for giving

Statistic 35

Year-end giving spikes 40% in December

Statistic 36

Peer-to-peer fundraising grew 15% to $15B in 2022

Statistic 37

48% abandon carts due to lack of transparency in giving

Statistic 38

Stock donations up 20% in 2022 among HNWI

Statistic 39

DAF grants totaled $54B in 2022 US

Statistic 40

Social media sharing influences 55% of donations

Statistic 41

Vehicle donations generated $1.2B for charities 2022

Statistic 42

35% of donors give to multiple orgs simultaneously

Statistic 43

Email campaigns drive 29% of online donations

Statistic 44

62% of Gen Z give spontaneously via apps

Statistic 45

Legacy giving pledges rose 12% in 2023

Statistic 46

Corporate volunteerism tied to 25% higher donations

Statistic 47

70% repeat donate after positive impact story

Statistic 48

Crypto donations hit $2.5B in 2022

Statistic 49

45% of donors influenced by celebrity endorsements

Statistic 50

Micro-donations (<$10) make up 22% of digital giving

Statistic 51

58% of donors churn after one gift without follow-up

Statistic 52

Events/fundraisers account for 18% of total giving

Statistic 53

Charity:water reports 100% of donations go to clean water projects, impacting 15M people

Statistic 54

Against Malaria Foundation prevents 0.1 deaths per $1,000 donated via nets

Statistic 55

Direct cash transfers via GiveDirectly increase recipient income 35% long-term

Statistic 56

AMF distributed 100M+ nets, averting 500K deaths since 2004

Statistic 57

Top charities cost ~$3,500 to save a life (GiveWell estimate 2023)

Statistic 58

Habitat for Humanity built 1.5M homes, housing 7M people since 1976

Statistic 59

80% of Charity Navigator 4-star orgs spend <25% on overhead

Statistic 60

Smile Train performs 1.5M cleft surgeries, 90% volunteer surgeons

Statistic 61

Effective Altruism funds averted 200K+ deaths via top charities

Statistic 62

Partners in Health treats 10M patients/year at $50/person cost

Statistic 63

Cool Earth protects 1 acre rainforest per £6 donated

Statistic 64

1-800-Charity Cars delivered 250K+ vehicles, 90% to needy families

Statistic 65

Average charity admin costs 12-15% per ECFA standards

Statistic 66

Deworm the World treated 100M+ kids, improving schooling 0.65 years

Statistic 67

Sightsavers prevents blindness in 1M via $50 donations each

Statistic 68

90% of Red Cross disaster relief reaches field within 24hrs

Statistic 69

Best charities return $12+ impact per $1 donated (GiveWell)

Statistic 70

Heifer International lifts 25M out of poverty via livestock gifts

Statistic 71

Operation Smile repairs 400K+ clefts at $600/surgery cost

Statistic 72

75% of funds to program vs overhead in BBB Wise Giving Alliance

Statistic 73

Malaria Consortium saves 1 life per 2,500 nets ($5K total)

Statistic 74

Water.org serves 50M+ with clean water loans at 95% repayment

Statistic 75

In 2022, total charitable giving in the United States amounted to $499.33 billion, representing a 0.1% decrease from 2021 in current dollars but a 3.4% decline when adjusted for inflation

Statistic 76

Globally, the World Giving Index 2023 reports that 3.6 billion people donated money to charity in 2022, up from previous years

Statistic 77

UK charitable donations reached £12.7 billion in the 2021/22 tax year, a 9.4% increase from the previous year

Statistic 78

In 2021, Americans gave $484.9 billion to charity, with individuals contributing 67% of the total

Statistic 79

Canadian charitable donations totaled CAD 11.65 billion in 2021, down 4.5% from 2020

Statistic 80

The average annual donation per US household in 2022 was $2,978

Statistic 81

In 2022, global philanthropy from high-net-worth individuals reached $510 billion

Statistic 82

Australia saw $13.9 billion in charitable giving in 2022, a 7% increase year-over-year

Statistic 83

India’s charitable donations grew to INR 25,000 crore in FY2022, driven by CSR mandates

Statistic 84

In 2023, European charitable giving totaled €120 billion, with Germany leading at €22 billion

Statistic 85

US online giving surged 4.2% in 2022 to $57.7 billion

Statistic 86

The global crowdfunding market for charity reached $1.8 billion in 2022

Statistic 87

In 2021, total US foundation giving was $103 billion, up 6.3%

Statistic 88

Brazil’s charitable sector received BRL 20 billion in donations in 2022

Statistic 89

Japan’s donations hit ¥1.2 trillion in 2022, with disaster relief prominent

Statistic 90

South Africa donations totaled ZAR 12 billion in 2022

Statistic 91

In 2022, 48% of US adults donated to charity, averaging $1,500 per donor

Statistic 92

Global corporate giving reached $25 billion in 2022

Statistic 93

New Zealand giving was NZD 2.1 billion in 2022

Statistic 94

Singapore donations grew 15% to SGD 2 billion in 2022

Statistic 95

In 2023, US bequests to charity totaled $42.9 billion

Statistic 96

Mexico charitable giving reached MXN 50 billion in 2022

Statistic 97

In 2022, 26% of global population donated money monthly

Statistic 98

US giving as percentage of GDP was 1.93% in 2022

Statistic 99

China’s public welfare donations hit CNY 200 billion in 2022

Statistic 100

France donations totaled €10.5 billion in 2022 via tax receipts

Statistic 101

Total global aid from DAC countries was $204 billion in 2022

Statistic 102

Indonesia donations reached IDR 20 trillion in 2022

Statistic 103

In 2022, US itemized deductions for charity totaled $300 billion

Statistic 104

Religion: Religion receives 27% of US donations ($134.9B in 2022)

Statistic 105

Education sector got 14% of donations ($69.7B) in US 2022

Statistic 106

Human services received 13% ($64.9B) of US giving in 2022

Statistic 107

Health organizations got 10% ($49.9B) in US 2022 donations

Statistic 108

Arts/culture/humanities: 5% ($24.9B) of US total in 2022

Statistic 109

Environment/animals: 3% ($15B) of US donations 2022

Statistic 110

International affairs: 2% ($10B) in US 2022

Statistic 111

Public-society benefit: 9% ($44.9B) US 2022

Statistic 112

Globally, education receives 22% of donations per World Giving Index

Statistic 113

Disaster relief got $20B globally in 2022 post-events

Statistic 114

Animal welfare donations up 12% to $8B in US 2022

Statistic 115

Mental health charities received $5.5B in US 2022

Statistic 116

Hunger/poverty relief: 15% of global giving

Statistic 117

Religious giving in UK: 33% of total donations 2022

Statistic 118

Medical research: $12B in US 2022 (cancer focus)

Statistic 119

Youth development orgs got $6B US 2022

Statistic 120

Environmental causes: 8% global rise in 2022 donations

Statistic 121

Homelessness shelters: $4.2B US 2022

Statistic 122

LGBTQ+ causes: $1.5B globally 2022

Statistic 123

Veteran support: $7B US 2022

Statistic 124

Women/girls empowerment: $10B global 2022

Statistic 125

Sports/youth athletics: $2.5B US 2022

Statistic 126

Civil rights/equity: $3.8B US post-2020 rise

Statistic 127

Refugee aid: $15B international 2022

Statistic 128

Elderly care: 6% of UK donations 2022

Statistic 129

Tech/innovation charities: $1.2B US 2022

1/129

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While a staggering 3.6 billion people worldwide opened their wallets to charity last year, the true power of giving lies not just in the scale of donations, but in the profound, life-saving impact a single dollar can deliver.

Key Takeaways

In 2022, total charitable giving in the United States amounted to $499.33 billion, representing a 0.1% decrease from 2021 in current dollars but a 3.4% decline when adjusted for inflation
Globally, the World Giving Index 2023 reports that 3.6 billion people donated money to charity in 2022, up from previous years
UK charitable donations reached £12.7 billion in the 2021/22 tax year, a 9.4% increase from the previous year
Households earning under $50K donated 5.5% of income in 2022
72% of US donors in 2023 were female
Millennials donated $120 billion annually in 2022, 25% of total giving
Religion: Religion receives 27% of US donations ($134.9B in 2022)
Education sector got 14% of donations ($69.7B) in US 2022
Human services received 13% ($64.9B) of US giving in 2022
55% of donors give via mobile in 2023
Recurring monthly donations up 25% since 2020 to 30% of donors
72% of donors research charities online before giving
Charity:water reports 100% of donations go to clean water projects, impacting 15M people
Against Malaria Foundation prevents 0.1 deaths per $1,000 donated via nets
Direct cash transfers via GiveDirectly increase recipient income 35% long-term

Charitable giving continues globally, though its impact varies widely between different countries and causes.

Donor Profiles

Households earning under $50K donated 5.5% of income in 2022
72% of US donors in 2023 were female
Millennials donated $120 billion annually in 2022, 25% of total giving
Boomers (age 57-75) gave 40% of total US donations in 2022, averaging $4,200 each
41% of Gen Z donated in 2023, compared to 51% of Boomers
High-net-worth individuals (>$1M assets) donated 7.5% of income in 2022
Married donors give 15% more than singles, averaging $3,500 vs $2,900 in 2022
55% of donors with children under 18 donate monthly
Black Americans donate 25% more of income than average (4.5%)
60% of US donors are college-educated, giving 2x more than non-grads
Rural donors give 10% higher percentage of income than urban (4.2% vs 3.8%)
35% of donors aged 18-24 use mobile apps exclusively for giving
Women donors prioritize health causes 20% more than men
48% of Hispanic donors give to education, highest among groups
Retirees donate 50% more frequently than working adults
28% of low-income donors (<$25K) still give annually, averaging $200
Corporate employees donate 3x more when matching is offered
65% of frequent donors (monthly) are under 50
LGBTQ+ donors give 15% higher to advocacy groups
Veterans donate 30% more to military causes
52% of self-employed donors give vs 45% employed
Asian American donors average $5,000 annually, highest per capita
70% of donors over 70 include charity in estate plans
Parents donate 22% more to youth causes
39% of non-religious donors still give to faith-based orgs
Urban professionals (25-34) donate via payroll 18% of time
Religion (humanists) donate 4% of income, similar to religious

Donor Profiles Interpretation

While millennials and Gen Z are building their giving habits and women dominate the donor pool, it's the Boomers and high-net-worth individuals writing the biggest checks, yet the most generous hearts, by percentage, often beat in lower-income, rural, and Black households.

Giving Behaviors

55% of donors give via mobile in 2023
Recurring monthly donations up 25% since 2020 to 30% of donors
72% of donors research charities online before giving
Impulse giving accounts for 38% of all donations via digital
Employer matching doubles donations for 40% of employees
Text-to-give raised $1B in 2022 for US causes
65% of donors prefer one-click checkout for giving
Year-end giving spikes 40% in December
Peer-to-peer fundraising grew 15% to $15B in 2022
48% abandon carts due to lack of transparency in giving
Stock donations up 20% in 2022 among HNWI
DAF grants totaled $54B in 2022 US
Social media sharing influences 55% of donations
Vehicle donations generated $1.2B for charities 2022
35% of donors give to multiple orgs simultaneously
Email campaigns drive 29% of online donations
62% of Gen Z give spontaneously via apps
Legacy giving pledges rose 12% in 2023
Corporate volunteerism tied to 25% higher donations
70% repeat donate after positive impact story
Crypto donations hit $2.5B in 2022
45% of donors influenced by celebrity endorsements
Micro-donations (<$10) make up 22% of digital giving
58% of donors churn after one gift without follow-up
Events/fundraisers account for 18% of total giving

Giving Behaviors Interpretation

The modern donor is a generous, impulsive, and impatient researcher on a mobile device, who can be swayed by a friend, a story, or a celebrity, but who will abandon the entire mission if the checkout isn't seamless or the charity's transparency seems murky.

Impact and Efficiency

Charity:water reports 100% of donations go to clean water projects, impacting 15M people
Against Malaria Foundation prevents 0.1 deaths per $1,000 donated via nets
Direct cash transfers via GiveDirectly increase recipient income 35% long-term
AMF distributed 100M+ nets, averting 500K deaths since 2004
Top charities cost ~$3,500 to save a life (GiveWell estimate 2023)
Habitat for Humanity built 1.5M homes, housing 7M people since 1976
80% of Charity Navigator 4-star orgs spend <25% on overhead
Smile Train performs 1.5M cleft surgeries, 90% volunteer surgeons
Effective Altruism funds averted 200K+ deaths via top charities
Partners in Health treats 10M patients/year at $50/person cost
Cool Earth protects 1 acre rainforest per £6 donated
1-800-Charity Cars delivered 250K+ vehicles, 90% to needy families
Average charity admin costs 12-15% per ECFA standards
Deworm the World treated 100M+ kids, improving schooling 0.65 years
Sightsavers prevents blindness in 1M via $50 donations each
90% of Red Cross disaster relief reaches field within 24hrs
Best charities return $12+ impact per $1 donated (GiveWell)
Heifer International lifts 25M out of poverty via livestock gifts
Operation Smile repairs 400K+ clefts at $600/surgery cost
75% of funds to program vs overhead in BBB Wise Giving Alliance
Malaria Consortium saves 1 life per 2,500 nets ($5K total)
Water.org serves 50M+ with clean water loans at 95% repayment

Impact and Efficiency Interpretation

Charity, it turns out, is a remarkably efficient if deeply humbling marketplace where a few thousand dollars can buy a life, a few hundred can mend a face, and a few dollars can change a destiny, proving that compassion, when strategically deployed, is among the world's most powerful currencies.

Overall Donation Volumes

In 2022, total charitable giving in the United States amounted to $499.33 billion, representing a 0.1% decrease from 2021 in current dollars but a 3.4% decline when adjusted for inflation
Globally, the World Giving Index 2023 reports that 3.6 billion people donated money to charity in 2022, up from previous years
UK charitable donations reached £12.7 billion in the 2021/22 tax year, a 9.4% increase from the previous year
In 2021, Americans gave $484.9 billion to charity, with individuals contributing 67% of the total
Canadian charitable donations totaled CAD 11.65 billion in 2021, down 4.5% from 2020
The average annual donation per US household in 2022 was $2,978
In 2022, global philanthropy from high-net-worth individuals reached $510 billion
Australia saw $13.9 billion in charitable giving in 2022, a 7% increase year-over-year
India’s charitable donations grew to INR 25,000 crore in FY2022, driven by CSR mandates
In 2023, European charitable giving totaled €120 billion, with Germany leading at €22 billion
US online giving surged 4.2% in 2022 to $57.7 billion
The global crowdfunding market for charity reached $1.8 billion in 2022
In 2021, total US foundation giving was $103 billion, up 6.3%
Brazil’s charitable sector received BRL 20 billion in donations in 2022
Japan’s donations hit ¥1.2 trillion in 2022, with disaster relief prominent
South Africa donations totaled ZAR 12 billion in 2022
In 2022, 48% of US adults donated to charity, averaging $1,500 per donor
Global corporate giving reached $25 billion in 2022
New Zealand giving was NZD 2.1 billion in 2022
Singapore donations grew 15% to SGD 2 billion in 2022
In 2023, US bequests to charity totaled $42.9 billion
Mexico charitable giving reached MXN 50 billion in 2022
In 2022, 26% of global population donated money monthly
US giving as percentage of GDP was 1.93% in 2022
China’s public welfare donations hit CNY 200 billion in 2022
France donations totaled €10.5 billion in 2022 via tax receipts
Total global aid from DAC countries was $204 billion in 2022
Indonesia donations reached IDR 20 trillion in 2022
In 2022, US itemized deductions for charity totaled $300 billion

Overall Donation Volumes Interpretation

While inflation may have momentarily dipped the total, the staggering resilience of global generosity—from billions of individuals giving small amounts to high-net-worth billions—proves that the impulse to help others is a currency that never truly devalues.

Sector-Specific Giving

Religion: Religion receives 27% of US donations ($134.9B in 2022)
Education sector got 14% of donations ($69.7B) in US 2022
Human services received 13% ($64.9B) of US giving in 2022
Health organizations got 10% ($49.9B) in US 2022 donations
Arts/culture/humanities: 5% ($24.9B) of US total in 2022
Environment/animals: 3% ($15B) of US donations 2022
International affairs: 2% ($10B) in US 2022
Public-society benefit: 9% ($44.9B) US 2022
Globally, education receives 22% of donations per World Giving Index
Disaster relief got $20B globally in 2022 post-events
Animal welfare donations up 12% to $8B in US 2022
Mental health charities received $5.5B in US 2022
Hunger/poverty relief: 15% of global giving
Religious giving in UK: 33% of total donations 2022
Medical research: $12B in US 2022 (cancer focus)
Youth development orgs got $6B US 2022
Environmental causes: 8% global rise in 2022 donations
Homelessness shelters: $4.2B US 2022
LGBTQ+ causes: $1.5B globally 2022
Veteran support: $7B US 2022
Women/girls empowerment: $10B global 2022
Sports/youth athletics: $2.5B US 2022
Civil rights/equity: $3.8B US post-2020 rise
Refugee aid: $15B international 2022
Elderly care: 6% of UK donations 2022
Tech/innovation charities: $1.2B US 2022

Sector-Specific Giving Interpretation

While religious giving builds heavenly bank accounts here on earth, the rest of humanity is busy funding its own salvation through schools, hospitals, and the urgent care of our planet and its creatures.

Sources & References

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