What to learn from $20.2 billion in charitable giving last year

Corporations, foundations, public charities and wealthy donors gave $20.2 billion in 2020, according to a new report from Candid and the Center for Disaster Philanthropy. 

Here are some of the biggest takeaways about philanthropy during the COVID-19 pandemic: 

Corporations gave big: Corporations made up 44% of all COVID-19 funding last year, though their rate of giving declined from the first half of the year. “This decline is to be expected, as corporations are typically among the first to publicly respond with pledges of support in the immediate aftermath of a disaster or crisis,” the report reads. In total, they gave $9.4 billion 

New York is home to top donors, funding recipients: Donors from New York gave away nearly $3.3 billion, according to data of pledges, cash donations and in-kind contributions. The state ranks third in the dollar value of contributions given. New York nonprofits and organizations also received the second-most funding, based on total dollar value, in 2020. However, the data is flawed: most funding information lacks details about where the funding is being directed. 

Half of the top independent foundations giving the most are also based in New York. The Rockefeller Foundation ranked second with $1.1 billion awarded, followed by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Open Society Foundations, Bloomberg Philanthropies, and the Ford Foundation.

Human services see the most love: Human services organizations received the greatest share of COVID-19 funding, garnering 28% of donations. Health organizations came in close behind as the next top recipient, getting 26% of the funds.