Americans Do This More Than They Vote

A new report shows that 2015 was America's most financially generous year ever with donations totaling about $373.25 billion. 

Giving USA released its annual report on philanthropy for 2015 today and the results have shocked experts. Based on the data, Americans gave an average of 1 billion dollars a day in 2015. The number is an all-time high for giving from all sources, including individuals, bequests, foundations, and corporations. 

Americans are giving more dollars to religion, education, human services, religion, health organizations, and much more. 

But the increased giving trend does not stop in 2015, Americans also gave at record-setting numbers in 2014. The giving total when adjusted for inflation shows that Americans gave $359.04 billion in 2014.

"If you look at total giving by two-year time spans, the combined growth for 2014 and 2015 hit double digits, reaching 10.1% when calculated using inflation-adjusted dollars," said Giving USA Chair W. Keith Curtis. 

The giving totals from the past two years are the highest and second-highest totals for giving in the past decade. 

The report shows that individuals give the most compared to foundations, corportations, and other sources. What is even more surprising is that Americans give donations more than they hit the voting blocs. 

"Philanthropy is quite democratic and always has been - more people give than vote in the U.S.," said Patrick M. Rooney, associate dean for academic affairs at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. 

But not only is American's total giving outperforming the number of voters, it is also outperforming the country's total gross domestic product (GDP).

"Between 2010 and 2015, growth in charitable donations actually outperformed growth in GDP," said Jeffrey D. Byrne, chair of The Giving Institute. "Consider this: inflation-adjusted total giving grew at an annualized average rate of three-point-six percent during that time frame; meanwhile, GDP grew at an average of two percent."

The increase in giving has made many question why Americans have been so generous in the last two years. 

"For those who give, what lies behind the numbers is often caring, empathy, or the strong desire to make a difference-whether for one person or for thousands," the report says. 

"Motivations for giving are complex and vary widely among the individuals and institutions doing the giving, but often generosity is born of gratitude, of lessons learned by example, of personal experience, or of the drive for positive change and impact," the report also said.

But even though the record-setting giving is something to celebrate, the report notes "there is always room to do more." 

Giving USA urges Americans to "consider what that more could be" and "spread the word about what philanthropy can do."