Contributions from all sources of charitable giving in the U.S. will grow by 4.8% and 4.9% in 2015 and 2016, according to predictions in a new report from the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy and Marts & Lundy, a consulting firm.
Expected growth of total giving in each of those years will exceed the estimated 3.1% annualized average rate of growth in total giving in the years following the Great Recession and the estimated 3.8% long-term average trend for the 1973–2013 period.
The report said average annual giving would increase by $17 billion in the five-year period 2012–2016, compared with an average decline of $6.7 billion in 2007–2011.
Americans gave an estimated $335 billion, or 2% of U.S. GDP, to charity in 2013, according to Giving USA 2014.
The Lilly/Marts & Lundy report predicted that individual and household giving would account for about 70% of total giving this year. These contributions from households that itemize charitable deductions and ones that do not would increase by 4.4% in 2015 and by 4.1% in 2016, it said.
Two factors will account for a majority of this giving: projected growth in personal income and above-average projected growth in household and nonprofit net worth.
