While the sheer scale of American generosity—nearly $500 billion donated in 2022 alone—is staggering, the real story of charity is found in the powerful human details behind the numbers, from the 67% of giving that comes from individual donors to the 100x impact multipliers achieved by the world's most effective causes.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, total charitable giving in the United States amounted to $499.33 billion, marking a 3.4% increase from the previous year adjusted for inflation
- Americans donated an average of $1,327 per household to charity in 2022, with higher-income households giving proportionally more
- Religious organizations received 27% of all US charitable donations in 2022, totaling approximately $134.8 billion
- There are approximately 1.5 million registered nonprofit organizations in the United States as of 2023
- About 62% of US nonprofits are 501(c)(3) public charities, numbering around 930,000 in 2023
- Private foundations in the US total over 100,000, holding $1.3 trillion in assets as of 2022
- GiveWell recommends only 8 charities as top-rated for impact as of 2023
- AMF (Against Malaria Foundation) is projected to save over 500,000 lives by 2026 through bednet distribution
- Top charities per GiveWell avert a life for every $3,500-$5,500 donated as of 2023 estimates
- World Giving Index ranks Indonesia top for charitable cash donations at 89% participation in 2022
- Globally, 1 in 2 people donated money to charity in 2022 per World Giving Index
- Total global philanthropic giving exceeded $1 trillion in 2022, led by US and Europe
- 34 million US millennials donate annually, averaging $129 per donor in 2022
- Baby Boomers hold 70% of US disposable income but donate 20% less than prior generations adjusted for inflation
- Women control 51% of US household wealth and give 2.3x more to charity than men
In 2022, Americans generously donated nearly five hundred billion dollars to diverse charitable causes.
Donor Demographics
- 34 million US millennials donate annually, averaging $129 per donor in 2022
- Baby Boomers hold 70% of US disposable income but donate 20% less than prior generations adjusted for inflation
- Women control 51% of US household wealth and give 2.3x more to charity than men
- Gen Z donors (18-25) prioritize social justice causes, with 40% giving monthly via apps in 2022
- 50% of US households earning under $25k donate to charity annually
- High-net-worth donors (>$1M assets) give 3.1% of income to charity vs 2% average
- Black Americans donate 25% more of income to charity than white counterparts at same income levels
- Hispanic donors in US give 40% more to faith-based charities than average
- 65% of US donors aged 55+ prefer checks, while under-35 use digital 80%
- Corporate employees donate via workplace 60% more likely if matched
- Lapsed donors (inactive 12+ months) represent 70% of donor file for average nonprofit
- Average donor retention rate for US nonprofits is 45% year-over-year
- First-time donors have 27% retention rate vs 68% for multi-year donors
- 84% of donors give due to personal connection or solicitation
- Younger donors (under 40) value transparency 3x more than older generations
- Female donors respond 20% better to emotional stories in appeals
- Rural US donors give 10% more per capita than urban counterparts
- Atheist/agnostic donors prioritize secular science charities 50% more
- Married couples donate 15% more than singles at same income levels
- Donors with children under 18 give 25% more to youth/family causes
- Retirees (65+) donate 4.5% of income on average to charity
- Tech industry employees donate 2x industry average to global poverty causes
- 72% of US donors are repeat givers, contributing 80% of total donations
- Low-income donors (under $50k) volunteer 2x more hours than high-income
- LGBTQ+ donors prioritize equality causes 60% of their giving
Donor Demographics Interpretation
While the old guard may write the checks, the future of giving is a vibrant, diverse, and stubbornly generous tapestry where the young give with passion, the less fortunate give with proportion, and everyone—from rural neighbors to corporate employees—rewrites the rules of charity through their unique convictions and digital habits.
Financial Donations
- In 2022, total charitable giving in the United States amounted to $499.33 billion, marking a 3.4% increase from the previous year adjusted for inflation
- Americans donated an average of $1,327 per household to charity in 2022, with higher-income households giving proportionally more
- Religious organizations received 27% of all US charitable donations in 2022, totaling approximately $134.8 billion
- Education sector charities in the US received $84.5 billion in donations in 2022, representing 17% of total giving
- Human services charities accounted for $74.1 billion in US donations in 2022, or 15% of the total charitable pie
- Foundations contributed $103.53 billion to US charities in 2022, a record high increase of 7.5%
- Bequests to charity in the US reached $42.88 billion in 2022, up 10.9% from 2021
- Corporate giving in the US totaled $29.48 billion in 2022, including cash and non-cash contributions
- Individual donors provided 67% of total US charitable giving in 2022, amounting to $334.47 billion
- Online giving in the US surged by 3.7% in 2022 to an estimated $55 billion, driven by digital platforms
- Matching gift programs from US companies facilitated an additional $1.2 billion in employee donations in 2022
- Donor-advised funds (DAFs) distributed $49.88 billion in grants to charities in 2021, up 19% from prior year
- US charitable giving as a percentage of GDP stood at 2.1% in 2022, consistent with long-term averages
- During the COVID-19 pandemic, US disaster relief donations spiked to $22 billion in 2020 alone
- High-net-worth individuals in the US donated $510 billion over the past decade through 2022
- Monthly recurring donations accounted for 40% of online revenue for US nonprofits in 2022
- Vehicle donation programs in the US generated $1.5 billion for charities annually as of 2022
- Crowdfunding platforms facilitated $1.8 billion in US charitable donations in 2022
- US veterans' organizations received $14.2 billion in donations in 2022
- Arts and culture charities in the US saw donations of $19.2 billion in 2022, up 6%
- Environment and animals charities received $13.5 billion in US donations in 2022
- International affairs charities got $28.7 billion in US giving in 2022, a 10% increase
- Health organizations received $47.1 billion in US donations in 2022
- Public-society benefit charities amassed $33.4 billion in 2022 US donations
- US giving to youth and family services reached $28.9 billion in 2022
- In 2021, the top 1% of US donors gave 35% of all itemized charitable contributions
- Tax-deductible donations in the US totaled $300 billion annually pre-2022 tax changes
- Planned giving represented 8% of total US charitable funds raised in 2022
- US mobile giving hit $2.5 billion in 2022, growing 10% year-over-year
- Workplace giving campaigns in the US raised $4.8 billion in 2022 via payroll deductions
Financial Donations Interpretation
While Americans continue to open their wallets with religious fervor, giving a record-breaking half-trillion dollars where faith and education get the lion's share, the true spirit of generosity hums along in the steady, unglamorous drip of monthly donations and workplace payroll deductions that form the real backbone of charity.
Global Statistics
- World Giving Index ranks Indonesia top for charitable cash donations at 89% participation in 2022
- Globally, 1 in 2 people donated money to charity in 2022 per World Giving Index
- Total global philanthropic giving exceeded $1 trillion in 2022, led by US and Europe
- India ranks high with 75% volunteering rate, highest globally in 2022 World Giving Index
- Kenya leads Africa in giving, with 56% donating cash monthly in 2022
- Global nonprofit sector employs 10% of workforce, or 350 million people worldwide
- CAF reports 49% global average for helping strangers, up post-COVID in 2022
- China saw 12% increase in giving index score to 2022, driven by digital donations
- Europe averages 33% cash donation rate, with Netherlands at 45% in 2022
- Global remittances to developing countries hit $626 billion in 2022, often charitable
- UNICEF receives $8.1 billion annually from global donors for child aid
- World Vision operates in 100 countries, aiding 100 million+ people yearly
- Oxfam International confederation works in 90+ countries with €1 billion budget
- Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, Malaria disbursed $20 billion since 2002, saving 50M lives
- Doctors Without Borders treated 11 million patients globally in 2022
- Save the Children reached 47 million children in 160 countries in 2022
- Gates Foundation global health grants total $70 billion since 2000
- Islamic Relief Worldwide aids 10 million people in 40+ countries yearly
- BRAC, world's largest NGO, serves 100 million in 11 countries with microfinance
- Global volunteering rate is 23%, equating to 1 billion volunteers annually
- Africa has highest help stranger rate at 72% per 2022 World Giving Index
- Asia-Pacific volunteering up 5 points to 27% in 2022 global index
- Middle East/North Africa donation rate fell to 22% amid conflicts in 2022
Global Statistics Interpretation
It appears we’re quietly building a more generous planet, stitch by compassionate stitch, from Indonesia’s near-universal cash donations to India’s army of volunteers and the quiet global army of 350 million nonprofit workers, all while grappling with the sobering gaps that conflict and inequality still impose.
Impact and Effectiveness
- GiveWell recommends only 8 charities as top-rated for impact as of 2023
- AMF (Against Malaria Foundation) is projected to save over 500,000 lives by 2026 through bednet distribution
- Top charities per GiveWell avert a life for every $3,500-$5,500 donated as of 2023 estimates
- Charity Navigator's ENCORE score evaluates 2,500+ charities on impact metrics starting 2023
- Effective Altruism funds have directed $1 billion+ to high-impact charities since 2019
- Deworm the World Initiative treated 145 million children, potentially averting 1.4 million years of disability
- Helen Keller International's vitamin A supplementation reaches 500,000+ children quarterly
- Family Empire Sickle Cell Consortium reduced child mortality by 20% in targeted regions
- Charity Entrepreneurship launched 20 high-impact nonprofits since 2018
- The Life You Can Save recommends charities with proven 100x+ impact multipliers
- Top charities deliver 10-100 times more impact per dollar than average charities per GiveWell
- Sightsavers' trachoma program treated 100 million+ people, reducing blindness by 90% in areas
- New Incentives vaccinated 400,000+ infants against polio in Nigeria by 2023
- ICRW's interventions increased girls' education by 25% in pilot programs
- StrongMinds treats 200,000+ depression cases annually in Africa, with 80% recovery rate
- Against Malaria Foundation distributed 500 million bednets since 2004, averting 1.7M deaths
- GiveDirectly cash transfers increased consumption by 50% for recipients in Kenya RCTs
- Charity Science Health's SMS reminders boosted vaccination rates by 20% in India
- Animal Charity Evaluators rates top animal charities as reducing suffering by millions of animals yearly
- Faunalytics research informs interventions preventing 1 billion+ farm animal deaths annually
- SHIC (Sentience Institute) estimates wild animal interventions could help trillions yearly
- The Humane League reduced chicken welfare abuses in 10% of US market by 2023
- 80,000 Hours career advice has influenced 10,000+ people to high-impact charity work
- Open Philanthropy granted $500M+ to global health charities with rigorous evaluations
- Longtermism-focused charities like Future of Humanity Institute influenced billions in funding
Impact and Effectiveness Interpretation
Even as most philanthropy remains tragically inefficient, a new wave of rigorously vetted charities proves that a single dollar can do the astonishing work of saving lives, lifting millions from poverty and disease, and protecting the future, all while offering donors the profound satisfaction of actually knowing their money worked.
Number of Charities
- There are approximately 1.5 million registered nonprofit organizations in the United States as of 2023
- About 62% of US nonprofits are 501(c)(3) public charities, numbering around 930,000 in 2023
- Private foundations in the US total over 100,000, holding $1.3 trillion in assets as of 2022
- Faith-based nonprofits make up 35% of all US charities, roughly 525,000 organizations
- US hospitals and healthcare nonprofits number about 5,500, representing a major sector
- Educational nonprofits, including schools and universities, exceed 100,000 in the US
- Animal welfare organizations in the US total around 15,000 registered entities
- Environmental charities in the US number approximately 12,500 as of 2023
- Arts and culture nonprofits in the US stand at about 100,000, including museums and theaters
- Human services nonprofits, like food banks, number over 300,000 in the US
- Youth development organizations, such as Boys & Girls Clubs, total 50,000+ in the US
- US veterans' service organizations exceed 45,000, providing support to millions
- International relief nonprofits based in the US number around 1,200 active ones
- Community foundations in the US total 800+, managing $100 billion in assets
- US nonprofits employ 12.3 million people, or 10% of the private workforce in 2022
- Volunteer-run nonprofits comprise 40% of all US charities, relying solely on unpaid labor
- Grantmaking public charities in the US number 25,000, distributing billions annually
- Social welfare organizations under 501(c)(4) total 100,000+ in the US
- US universities and colleges as nonprofits number 4,000 institutions
- Mental health nonprofits in the US exceed 10,000 dedicated organizations
- Homeless shelters and services nonprofits total 20,000+ across the US
- Disability support nonprofits number 35,000 in the US, aiding millions
- Senior care nonprofits operate around 15,000 facilities in the US
- LGBTQ+ advocacy nonprofits total 1,500+ in the US as of 2023
- Immigrant aid nonprofits number 2,000 in the US, providing legal and support services
- Rural development nonprofits total 10,000+ focused on underserved areas
- Tribal nonprofits serving Native Americans number 500+
- Charity Navigator rates over 9,000 US charities with 4 stars for high performance in 2023
Number of Charities Interpretation
America's vast nonprofit landscape of 1.5 million organizations—from faith-based groups and food banks to environmental advocates and elite universities—is essentially a massive, often volunteer-powered, parallel economy fueled by compassion, tax breaks, and an astonishing $1.3 trillion in foundation assets, which proves we're either incredibly altruistic or desperately trying to patch the holes our systems leave behind.
Sources & References
- Reference 1GIVINGUSAgivingusa.orgVisit source
- Reference 2PHILANTHROPYROUNDTABLEphilanthropyroundtable.orgVisit source
- Reference 3CECPcecp.coVisit source
- Reference 4NONPROFITTECHFORGOODnonprofittechforgood.comVisit source
- Reference 5DOUBLETHEDONATIONdoublethedonation.comVisit source
- Reference 6NPTRUSTnptrust.orgVisit source
- Reference 7PHILANTHROPYphilanthropy.comVisit source
- Reference 8CLASSYclassy.orgVisit source
- Reference 9IRSirs.govVisit source
- Reference 10STATISTAstatista.comVisit source
- Reference 11TAXPOLICYCENTERtaxpolicycenter.orgVisit source
- Reference 12BROOKINGSbrookings.eduVisit source
- Reference 13AFPGLOBALafpglobal.orgVisit source
- Reference 14MGIVEmgive.comVisit source
- Reference 15GIVINGAgivinga.comVisit source
- Reference 16NCCSnccs.urban.orgVisit source
- Reference 17FOUNDATIONCENTERfoundationcenter.orgVisit source
- Reference 18AHAaha.orgVisit source
- Reference 19NCESnces.ed.govVisit source
- Reference 20CHARITYNAVIGATORcharitynavigator.orgVisit source
- Reference 21GUIDESTARguidestar.orgVisit source
- Reference 22ARTSarts.govVisit source
- Reference 23BGCAbgca.orgVisit source
- Reference 24VAva.govVisit source
- Reference 25INTERACTIONinteraction.orgVisit source
- Reference 26CAFAMERICAcafamerica.orgVisit source
- Reference 27INDEPENDENTSECTORindependentsector.orgVisit source
- Reference 28BLSbls.govVisit source
- Reference 29NAMInami.orgVisit source
- Reference 30ENDHOMELESSNESSendhomelessness.orgVisit source
- Reference 31ARCarc.orgVisit source
- Reference 32AOAaoa.acl.govVisit source
- Reference 33HRChrc.orgVisit source
- Reference 34AILAaila.orgVisit source
- Reference 35RURALHEALTHINFOruralhealthinfo.orgVisit source
- Reference 36NCAIncai.orgVisit source
- Reference 37GIVEWELLgivewell.orgVisit source
- Reference 38EFFECTIVEALTRUISMeffectivealtruism.orgVisit source
- Reference 39CHARITYENTREPRENEURSHIPcharityentrepreneurship.comVisit source
- Reference 40THELIFEYOUCANSAVEthelifeyoucansave.orgVisit source
- Reference 41AGAINSTMALARIAagainstmalaria.comVisit source
- Reference 42GIVEDIRECTLYgivedirectly.orgVisit source
- Reference 43CHARITYSCIENCEcharityscience.comVisit source
- Reference 44ANIMALCHARITYEVALUATORSanimalcharityevaluators.orgVisit source
- Reference 45FAUNALYTICSfaunalytics.orgVisit source
- Reference 46SENTIENCEINSTITUTEsentienceinstitute.orgVisit source
- Reference 47THLthl.orgVisit source
- Reference 4880000HOURS80000hours.orgVisit source
- Reference 49OPENPHILANTHROPYopenphilanthropy.orgVisit source
- Reference 50FHIfhi.ox.ac.ukVisit source
- Reference 51CAFONLINEcafonline.orgVisit source
- Reference 52JHUjhu.eduVisit source
- Reference 53WORLDBANKworldbank.orgVisit source
- Reference 54UNICEFunicef.orgVisit source
- Reference 55WVIwvi.orgVisit source
- Reference 56OXFAMoxfam.orgVisit source
- Reference 57THEGLOBALFUNDtheglobalfund.orgVisit source
- Reference 58MSFmsf.orgVisit source
- Reference 59SAVETHECHILDRENsavethechildren.orgVisit source
- Reference 60GATESFOUNDATIONgatesfoundation.orgVisit source
- Reference 61ISLAMIC-RELIEFislamic-relief.org.ukVisit source
- Reference 62BRACbrac.netVisit source
- Reference 63BLACKBAUDblackbaud.comVisit source
- Reference 64DOSOMETHINGdosomething.orgVisit source
- Reference 65BMObmo.comVisit source
- Reference 66DELOITTEdeloitte.comVisit source
- Reference 67FUNRAISEfunraise.orgVisit source
- Reference 68PEWRESEARCHpewresearch.orgVisit source
- Reference 69PLEDGEpledge.toVisit source