American Philanthropy is Rising Again - Slowly Peter Dobrin - Inquirer
go to original June 19, 2013

Philanthropic giving is inching its way back up, but the United States has not returned to its prerecession levels of generosity.

Total 2012 giving to charities was $316.23 billion, up by 3.5 percent over 2011, according to estimates to be unveiled at the Union League on Wednesday. They were prepared by the Chicago-based Giving USA Foundation and the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.

Adjusted for inflation, that represents just a 1.5 percent increase in donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations.

"The good news is that it's not going down, and the bad news is that it's not going up as rapidly as one might prefer," said Patrick Rooney, associate dean at the Lilly School, who oversaw the team that researched and wrote the report. Because giving dipped 15 percent during the recession and growth has been so slow since, it may be six or seven more years before philanthropy levels return to the 2007 prerecession high of $344.48 billion, he said.

"I think that's the real harm in this. During the slowdown in the economy and a slow recovery, there is more unmet need than normal, so it's a double whammy," he said.

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