Two-thirds of Donors Plan to Cut Back on Charitable Giving Due to Economic Woes

DALLAS, Aug. 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- With the volatility of the stock market, concerns over the debt ceiling, continued high unemployment and the lower U.S. credit rating, nearly 7 in 10 Americans (68 percent) say they will give more sparingly to charity in the coming months, according to a new study conducted by Campbell Rinker on behalf of Dunham+Company.  Another 1 in 10 plans to stop giving altogether until the economy gets back on track.

Charities can anticipate that individuals loyal to their cause will continue to give, as 78 percent of respondents said they intended to keep supporting the charities they have in the past.  

"According to Giving USA 2011, U.S. charitable giving dropped $30 billion annually from 2007 to 2009. Giving recovered slightly in 2010 and has continued to make a comeback in 2011," said Rick Dunham, President and CEO of Dunham+Company.  "But now it looks like charities are in for some more rough waters with the economy in such disarray."

Charities will find gaining new donors to be especially challenging as only 2 in 10 respondents (22 percent) said they would consider providing gifts to organizations they have never before supported.  

The study shows that the top three factors impacting the donor's willingness to give are, in order: (1) reduced income due to job loss; (2) the rising cost of personal or living expenses; and (3) uncertainty over the economy.  Forty-three percent of those surveyed believe the economy will continue to decline, 31 percent believe it will stay the same and only 17 percent feel the economy will improve.  

The study paints a brighter picture for houses of worship, as 95 percent of those who regularly attend religious services plan to continue giving, with one-third of that group indicating they are more willing to give in the coming months.  

The study was part of a Campbell Rinker Donor Confidence Survey of 497 adults nationwide who had donated at least $20 to charity in the previous 12 months.  All responses were gathered online from August 12-15, 2011.  A sample of this size has a margin of error of +/-4.4 percent at the 95 percent confidence level.

Please visit www.dunhamandcompany.com for more information on the survey.

SOURCE Dunham+Company