Celebrate the Good: Nonprofits Received an Outpouring of Support During the Pandemic

Small businesses are not the only sector that received increased and even unprecedented support from communities across the country. Nonprofits also witnessed the generosity of Americans as the COVID-19 pandemic shut down typical fundraising avenues and forced most organizations to shut down or work virtually. The nature of the pandemic made nonprofit work even more essential and widely needed. The public health crisis, isolated individuals, and increased unemployment prompted many nonprofits to expand their work. These expansions came with an increased call to philanthropists, annual donors, and even the occasional small donor to move their planned giving up to the present or create a giving plan in order to shore up fundraising gaps for nonprofits. Communities everywhere answered that call with great generosity.

With the increased call on nonprofits to help those in need across the United States and the world, donors were also asked to help answer that call. Donors stepped up to give more and sooner than they do in an average year. By the end of July, Americans giving exceeded the levels seen after September 11th and the 2008 financial crisis. In comparison to giving in 2019, Americans gave $3.4 billion charitably by July; this exceeds giving at the halfway point of 2019 by 28%. Fidelity Charitable reported that donations to food banks saw an increase of 667% nationally and in the Mid-Atlantic region, saw an 800% increase in donations. Large grant-making foundations and donor-advised funds recognized the need for immediate assistance, and rather than wait until the year’s end to make their normal grants, many reallocated all funding to be used specifically for immediate COVID-19 relief. A study by Community Foundations found that the U.S. experienced an 80% increase in charitable donations from March to May compared to the same time frame in 2019, with some specific regions and cities experiencing increases in excess of 200% in comparison to last year. Examining 64 donor-advised funds at various Community Foundations, the study found that among these 64 funds, $821.9 million was donated in March and April alone. This is $302 million more than in March and April of 2019. These are just a small sample of the serious efforts made by foundations, donor-advised funds, and individuals to help support nonprofits and communities in the midst of an unprecedented public health crisis. 

These incredible numbers not only show the resolve of the donor population in communities across the nation, but they also offer an uplifting outlook as we reflect on a very difficult year. Seeing the broad willingness of Americans to support nonprofits in a time of financial difficulty and uncertainty, is uplifting in a year with so many negative stories. While this blog only offers a snapshot of the support seen across the country, it offers some incredible comparisons to 2019 fundraising. There are touching individual stories behind so many of the donations that make up these incredible statistics. These numbers offer a reassuring outlook as we move toward a new year and hope it is a year filled with positive news about the impact of nonprofits and the generosity of those who support their work. 

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