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Charitable Giving Donations to charity rebounded somewhat in the past year, perhaps due to anticipated changes in the federal tax laws under President Clinton. The median donation reported in 1993 is $226, up $80 from the median reported last year and similar to the level reported in 1991. The peak donation reported since the Annual Survey began asking this question in 1987 was $285, measured in 1989. The number of county residents who gave no money has dropped from 23 percent in 1992 to 17 percent today. This year, 20 percent gave between $1 and $100, 33 percent gave $101 to $500, and 30 percent gave more than $500. In 1992, 22 percent gave more than $500 to charity. Much of the increase in donations came from residents earning more than $50,000, with 47 percent giving more than $500 this year. Last year, only 36 percent in the upper income-group gave that amount. In households earning between $36,000 and $50,000, 21 percent gave more than $500 this year, while among those earning less than $36,000, 14 percent made such a donation. In households earning $80,000 or more this year, 59 percent made donations of more than $500, and 49 percent made donations of $1,000 or more. Giving has also increased in the key age groups who
tend to be the biggest donors. Forty-two percent of residents aged 55
or older made donations of more than $500, up from 30 percent last year.
Thirty-eight percent of 35- to 54-year-olds gave more than $500 this
year, compared to 29 percent in 1992. But even those under 35 have increased
their giving -- 18 percent gave more than $500 to charity in 1993, up
from 11 percent in 1992. Those with higher education also gave more. Forty-three percent of college graduates made donations of more than $500, compared to 21 percent of those without college degrees. Those with no children at home (32%) were as likely as those with children present (29%) to donate $500 or more. |
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