Culture Chronicle

Donations Slip Amid Anxiety
The Wall Street Journal - June 9, 2010
By Shelly Banjo

Faced with continued economic uncertainty, Americans cut back on their charitable giving again last year.

For the second year in a row, philanthropy has seen the deepest decline ever recorded by the Giving USA Foundation, which has tracked annual giving since 1956.

Donations fell 3.6% to $303.75 billion last year, down from $315 billion in 2008, according to the latest Giving USA study, released Wednesday. In 2008, they were down 2%.

Giving, in current dollars, has gone up every year the organization has measured it except 1987 and the past two years.

"It's been a difficult year employment-wise for people who have lost their jobs to give, but we think others have stepped up their support to partly fill the gaps," said Nancy Raybin, chair of the Giving Institute, the consulting arm of the Giving USA Foundation. For the full article, click here