America's Philanthropy Has Been Insanely High, With Outstanding Charity Numbers

The philanthropic landscape in America is in transition, and donors are redefining the very notion of generosity. Affluent families are changing their strategies of giving and are more dedicated to social progress than ever before. The U.S. charitable giving soared to a high $592.50 billion in 2024, marking a 6.3% jump and for the record set one of the highest inflation-adjusted totals ever.  

The unassuming gesture of individuals remained the backbone of philanthropy, even as corporate and foundation gifts also grew. There’s a clear hierarchy of priorities influencing the attention and decision making of the donors. Health and medical causes and poverty relief, reign at the top with 58% of U.S. donors backing each. 

It is quite evident that these donations are altruistic with support for children and young people jumping to 40% from 26%, while religious organizations rose to 36% from 25% and animal welfare climbed to 35% from 23%. However, not every category lifted higher: disaster relief slipped to 23% from 25%, even as education gained ground to 22% from 14%. 

At the other end of the spectrum, affluent Americans have been busy making an impressionable philanthropic impact. Donations from households with high net worth have grown more than 30% since 2015, and in 2024 their average contribution totaled $33,219 was ten times more than the typical U.S. household’s gift.  

But that surge in dollars contrasts with a decline in participation: 81% of affluent households donated in 2024, down from 91% in 2015. About 30% of households didn’t donate and weren’t thinking of donating in 2025, but those who did gave so modestly. To put it simply: 2 in 10 people donated between $1-$50 and a third donated between $51 and $500.

The anatomy of giving is shifting in other interesting ways too. Data from AP-NORC reveals that wealthier households are more likely to give auspiciously. 61% of those with incomes of at least $100,000 donated upwards of $100, while smaller shares of those with lower incomes did the same. America’s giving boom isn’t a blip, the numbers suggest philanthropy isn’t just surviving economic uncertainty; it’s doing quite alright, better yet it’s reshaping what generosity looks like.