Charitable giving rose in third quarter of 2020: report
Person looking at computer screen to donate. Shutterstock
Charitable giving continued to increase in the third quarter of this year despite the COVID-19 pandemic, which means that overall giving increased by 7.6% during the first nine months of 2020 compared with the same period last year, Philanthropy News Digest reports.
The figures come from a recent report from the Fundraising Effectiveness Project, with research conducted by the Association of Fundraising Professionals and the Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy at the Urban Institute. This marks the second consecutive quarter that giving rose, a turnaround from the first quarter, when giving was down by 6%.
The rate of growth in donors also increased by 6% in the first three quarters of this year compared with 2019. Much of that was driven by new donors contributing to organizations this year.
“Some in the sector were worried that the rebound in giving in the second quarter would be short-lived as donors suffered prolonged challenges from the pandemic,” Jon Biedermann, chair of the Fundraising Effectiveness Project and president and CEO of The Biedermann Group, said in a statement. “While the donors giving less than $250 in the third quarter was not as far ahead as the second quarter, the public remains resolute in its giving.”