Charitable giving in the United States rose to $212 billion in 2001, according to the Giving USA study released last week by The American Association of Fundraising Counsel Trust for Philanthropy.
That figure is up half a percentage point from the adjusted 2000 total of $210.89 billion.
The largest portion of the total charitable gifts in 2001, 75.8 percent, came from individual donors, with 7.7 percent being donated by bequest, 12.2 percent coming from foundations and 4.3 percent from corporations.
According to the study, giving by individuals and foundations rose while gifts through bequest and corporations fell in 2001.
Of all charitable gifts made in 2001, religious organizations received the largest chunk of the money, 38.2 percent. Education followed with 15 percent; human services got 9.8 percent; health-related organizations received 8.7 percent; arts, culture and humanities groups got 5.7 percent; public societies received 5.6 percent; environmental and animal funds took in 3 percent and international affairs groups got 2 percent.
The remaining 12 percent was collected through foundations and unallocated giving.
Less than one percent, or $1.88 billion, of the total charitable contributions made in 2001 went to the relief and recovery efforts for the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, according to the findings. Of the $1.88 billion, 67 percent came from individuals; 10 percent from foundations; 22 percent from corporations and 1 percent from other sources.
The study was researched and written by the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University.
