Latinx households are significantly more likely to engage in informal giving compared to non-Latinx households, a report from Hispanics in Philanthropy and the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy finds.

The report, Latinx Philanthropy: Understanding Generosity Trends Across Latinx Communities in the U.S. (52 pages, PDF), includes data from three national datasets as well as focus groups and found that Latinx donors commonly give horizontally—between families and communities—based on values, interests, connections, and identities, rather than vertically to established charitable organizations. The most common priority causes for Latinx household charitable giving were religious congregations; human services such as food, shelter, and basic necessities; health care and medical research; and education—broadly mirroring the interests of non-Latinx households.

The report noted that even as the rate of giving by all households has declined in the past two decades, the falloff is far more pronounced among Latinx givers (a 40 percent decline from 44 percent in 2000 to 26 percent in 2018) than among non-Latinx households (a 23 percent decline to 53 percent from 69 percent).

For Latinx people born outside the United States, giving rates vary by time lived in the country. For example, giving rates among recent immigrants fluctuated throughout the past two decades but increased overall, whereas giving rates among established immigrants remained consistent until 2010, after which it slightly declined before seeing a sharp drop in 2018. While the study found that overall giving as a percentage of household income for non-Latinx households also declined, from 3.5 percent in 2000 to 2.8 percent in 2018 (a decline of 20 percent), the rate of decline among Latinx household giving was even greater, with a decline of 28.5 percent from 2.1 percent of household income to 1.5 percent.

The report noted that while horizontal giving based on faith, family, and community remains a core expression of Latinx philanthropy—often in response to crises, disasters, or events—there is a growing sentiment that Latinx donors should increase support to other sectors and give strategically to make a greater impact, by “converting [their] money into power and influence, and address[ing] the social issues which impact the Latino community.”

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