Donors Plan to Give More in 2021: Fidelity Charitable

New Causes

Asked what had influenced their giving over the past year, 22% of respondents said the pandemic, 10% social justice issues and 23% both. Forty-five percent said neither had affected their giving decisions.

The pandemic has inspired elevated giving levels among many donors, and it has also called attention to new issues and will prompt them to give more to each one in 2021 than they did the previous year, including these:

• Treatment/cures for diseases: more aware, 42%; give more, 27%.
• Local community needs: more aware, 34%; give more, 29%.
• Hunger: more aware, 32%; give more, 32%.
• Racial discrimination: more aware, 31%; give more, 21%.

Donors could also continue to embrace new channels and methods for giving in 2021. Twenty-nine percent of respondents said they will purchase more products from socially responsible businesses this year. Twenty-eight percent plan to make more donations online, and the same number to give more money directly to individuals, family or friends.

Twenty percent said they will attend fundraisers or events. Other ways donors may contribute this year: point-of-sale giving and through a giving circle, an online giving platform or a social media platform.

The study found that in-person volunteerism plummeted from a pre-pandemic level of 57% to 23% last year. Now, many donors are looking to increase their involvement. 

Thirty-five percent of donors said they plan to spend more time volunteering in the future, and 52% will spend about the same amount of time as before the pandemic. Looking ahead, one-third of donors said they will do part or all of their volunteer activities virtually.