Survey Reveals Older Americans Give More Generously Than Other Americans

Press release (Dec. 15, 2011) — Older Americans give to charities and other important causes more generously than most other Americans, according to a survey released today by Chase Card Services, a division of JPMorgan Chase & Co. The 2011 Chase Generational Giving Survey found that 63 percent of Americans age 55+ donated $101 or more to charity in 2011, compared to less than half (47 percent) of those below the age of 55. Not only are older Americans ready and willing to help, they are already helping in a significant way: more than one-third of older Americans donated more than $500 to charity in 2011.
How are older Americans giving back? The Generational Giving Survey shows that while nearly three in 10 (29 percent) Americans age 55+ volunteer on a regular basis, almost two-thirds (64 percent) of them give money to charity. In 2012, older Americans plan to continue to be more likely to donate their money or time to charity than the general population (52 to 45 percent).