More Than One-Third of Americans Say They Plan to Give Generously at Year End

Thirty-six percent of donors plan to give more in December than they did during that month last year, and 44 percent plan to give the same amount, according to a new survey. Twenty percent plan to reduce their giving.

Sixty-one percent of donors who plan to give more in December have already given more in 2020 than in all of 2019.

The online survey of 1,050 people who donated at least $100 in 2019 was conducted in August by McQueen Mackin & Associates, a market research firm. The survey was commissioned by RKD Group and the Nonprofit Alliance.

Seventy-seven percent of donors said they’d already given as much or more this year as in all of last year.

The survey also found:

• 65 percent of people who make more than $100,000 annually plan to give more in December, compared with 37 percent of people who make $50,000 to $100,000 and 31 percent who make less than $50,000.
• 39 percent of donors have increased online donations in 2020. However, direct mail is still more popular. Some 55 percent of donors said they had responded to direct-mail appeals this year, compared with 46 percent for social media, 39 percent for email, and 30 percent for online events.
• 74 percent of donors who plan to give more in December said a family member’s or a friend’s health had been affected “somewhat” or “a lot” by Covid-19.