Emergent Philanthropists: America's Evolving Ethnic Donor Groups

Giving in the U.S.
People living in the United States are more philanthropic than residents of any other country. The stats say it all:

• 80 percent of American households donate annually; with 129 million households in the U.S., that’s more than 100 million making gifts to charitable organizations!
• More than $300 billion was donated in each of the past few years.
• More than eight of every 10 donations are given by individuals versus donations from corporate entities or large private foundations.
• Charitable giving has increased nearly 3 percent on average every year over the past 40 years.
• Average household giving is nearly $3,000 each year.
• For households with annual incomes between $100,000 and $1 million, the average is just less than $5,000, and for households with $1 million or more in annual income, the average household gift jumps to nearly $60,000 each year.

It’s estimated that one in every five households in the U.S. is affluent — defined as having household income around $100,000 or higher.