Americans gave $358 billion to charity last year, the fifth year in a row that generosity has increased over the previous year, and marking an all-time record.
That’s $3 billion more than the previous record set in 2007. And if you factor in the amount of time people in the U.S. volunteer every year, Americans are tied for first as the most charitable people on the planet per capita.
The Giving USA Foundation reports more than a million American charities received a share of those contributions, Most of the money, $258 billion, came from individuals who, on average, gave 5.7 percent more than they gave 2013.
Foundations, bequests and corporate donations also increased.
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“We saw several very large gifts greater than $200 million,” said Patrick Rooney, Associate Dean at Indiana University and a member of the Giving USA Foundation. “These gifts are high impact and are addressing many critical issues of our time, particularly medical research.”
Donors gave to their favorite causes, but contributions to cultural, environmental or animal based charities enjoyed the fastest growth last year, according to the New York Times.
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