Total giving in the United States decreased in 2022 following two years of record generosity during the COVID-19 pandemic, down 3.4 percent in current dollars and 10.5 percent after adjusting for inflation, a report from Giving USA finds. 

Produced by the Giving USA Foundation and the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, the report, Giving USA 2023: The Annual Report on Philanthropy for the Year 2022, estimates that charitable giving totaled $499.33 billion in 2022, down from the revised total in 2021 of $516.65 billion. While a decrease in giving is a rare occurrence, the report noted that declines are usually seen during years with difficult or unusual economic conditions. Giving in 2022 was influenced by stock market volatility and economic uncertainty. According to the report, there was growth in three of the four sources of giving (foundations, bequests, and corporations) in 2022 in current dollars, but all four sources declined after adjusting for inflation. Giving by foundations and corporations, however, posted positive two-year growth, even when adjusting for inflation.

For the second consecutive year, very large gifts by some of the wealthiest Americans represented nearly 5 percent of individual giving. In 2022, mega-giving from six individuals and couples totaled $13.96 billion. Measured in current dollars, the report found that giving grew in five of the nine categories of nonprofits that receive charitable contributions, although the growth largely did not keep pace with the 8 percent inflation rate. In inflation-adjusted terms, seven of the nine subsectors experienced a decline. Giving to foundations and in support of international affairs both grew in inflation-adjusted terms, at 1.9 percent and 2.7 percent respectively.

“Declines in giving like those we saw in 2022 have a tangible impact on nonprofit organizations, especially those that rely on charitable dollars to support their daily work. Nonprofits and donors alike experienced the steady, negative impacts of inflation such as the growing cost of goods and high interest rates throughout 2022, and many of those challenges remain,” said Lilly Family School of Philanthropy dean Amir Pasic. “However, Giving USA’s historical data also provide a case for hope: we have seen charitable giving rebound from each decline.” 

(Photo credit: Getty Images/Charnchai)