Atlas of Giving Reports 2012 Total Giving to Nonprofits Grew 6.7 Percent

“The manner in which a given nonprofit raises money has everything to do with what effect unemployment has on gift receipts,” Mitchell, said. “Organizations that rely on large numbers of relatively small gifts from individuals are hit the hardest when unemployment is high.”

2012 saw the announcement of several “mega-gifts” by individuals. Mitchell believes that a concern over possible elimination or diminishment of the charitable income tax deduction was motivational for these and many other gifts from wealthy individuals in 2012. Some of these “mega-gifts” included: