Charitable giving down 2% in 2008

Wednesday, June 10, 2009, 1:39pm EDT

Orlando Business Journal

Fewer Americans were opening their wallets and giving to charity last year, according to Giving USA’s annual report on philanthropy.

While charitable giving in the U.S. reached $307.65 billion in 2008, it was down 2 percent from the previous year’s total of $314.07 billion.

The decline was the first since 1987 and the second time there has been a drop since Giving USA began publishing its annual reports in 1956.

Two-thirds of public charities reported a decline in giving. The exceptions were religion, public-society benefit and international affairs.

“With the United States mired in a recession throughout 2008, there was no doubt in anyone’s mind that charitable giving would be down,” said Del Martin, who chairs the Giving USA Foundation. “However, what we find remarkable is that individuals, corporations and foundations still provided more than $307 billion to causes they support, despite the economic conditions.”

Giving made up 2.2 percent of the gross domestic product in 2008, down from 2.3 percent in 2007.