Individuals again top givers to charity by far — 2020 numbers

Individuals Did It

People, individuals, like you and me, all across the U.S. are the most powerful force for charity.

In 2020, individuals as a group were again by far the top givers in the U.S. — directly giving (including bequests) $366 billion (or 78%) of the total. Individuals were also responsible for a significant portion of the foundation giving (through family foundations and donor-advised funds).

Total reported giving to charity was about $471.4 billion.

Here’s the breakdown:

  • Individuals (direct) gave about $324.1 billion
  • Individuals (bequests) gave about $41.9 billion
  • Foundations (includes both family foundations and many donor-advised funds) gave about $88.6 billion.
  • Corporations gave about $16.9 billion

Source: This information is as reported in Giving USA 2021: The Annual Report on Philanthropy for the Year 2020, a publication of Giving USA Foundation™. The Giving USA Foundation offers the full report for sale.