The economy is starting to take off again, and with that, so are charitable donations.
A new survey from the Saint Leo University Polling Institute showed that 67 percent of Americans say they plan to give as much or more to charities than they did last year. That’s up a bit from 2013 when just 59 percent of people said they planned to give the same or more as they did the previous year.
“This may be another indication of not only an improving economy, but of increasing confidence in people’s own economic security,” said Susan Kinsella, the human services department chair at Saint Leo University, in a release.
In the survey, conducted between Nov. 25 and Dec. 6, 18 percent said they were going to give more this year than last year, compared to 15 percent the year before. At the same time, 49 percent said they would stay steady in donations compared to 44 percent last year.
Another 27 percent said they would lower their donation, or give nothing at all, compared to 32 percent in 2013.
For those who are giving, 49 percent said they were influenced by their own ethical principles, while just 15 percent said it was based on religious teachings or beliefs. At the same time, 23 percent said they were not influenced at all by ethical principles, religious beliefs, or nudging from family members or peers.
“Giving is really a personal choice, and individuals are influenced by ethical principles over religious teachings by more than a 3-to-1 margin,” Kinsella said. “Another factor to consider is that this is the United States, and we are known for being a generous country. We don’t hesitate to open our purse strings to help others in need.”
More than 1,000 adults were polled, with a margin of error plus or minus 3 percent.
