The Pentera Blog
Donors Who Budget Have the Greatest Charitable Impact
Americans who include charitable donations in their annual budgets make the largest contributions and are the most likely to increase their philanthropic giving, a recent survey finds.
A September 2021 Harris Poll conducted for Vanguard Charitable found those who budget for charitable giving contributed an average of $2,453 in the previous 12 months. That compares with an average of $355 for those who don't budget at all.
Of the 2,075 people surveyed, 73% said they had given to charity in the past year. Of those, less than half, 44%, said they include charitable donations in an annual budget.
Those who specifically budget for charitable giving were the most likely to have increased their giving compared to the previous 12 months. Of those who budget for donations, 38% said their annual giving went up; that compared to 22% for those who create budgets but don't include a line for philanthropy and 19% for those who don't budget at all.
Vanguard Charitable said the survey shows that budgeting can help individuals make the greatest charitable impact, adding that shifting from short-term thinking to long-term planning also provides consistent support for nonprofits that badly need reliable contributions.
The survey also asked what inspired people to give. The largest group, 27%, were inspired by personal experience; 24% were inspired by current events, such as COVID-19 or natural disasters; and 22% said they were following their annual charitable budget. One out of five donors said they were inspired to donate to a new charity in the previous year.
To read more about the survey, click here.
