A Lookback at 2022 Trends in Global Giving
The GivingTuesday Data Commons is excited to release Rethinking Resilience: Insights from the Giving Ecosystem, in which we continue our data-driven efforts to deepen the social sector’s understanding of the giving ecosystem.
In this report, we present a holistic view of global giving in 2022, reflecting the full breadth of the Data Commons’ initiatives, partnerships, data, and analysis. We have mapped a wide variety of giving behavior metrics across global regions and communities, including the USA, India, Brazil, Kenya, the UK, and other countries. This year’s report also offers a window into the many ways that giving cultures vary from region to region.
Our 2022 Lookback Report goes beyond narrow philanthropic metrics that exclude most giving and givers. In addition to measuring financial donations to charities, we also report on giving money, time, items, and voice in many different contexts, including giving to community groups and non-family individuals, in addition to nonprofits.
As our report underscores, as our map of the global giving ecosystem evolves so too will our ability to learn how to best cultivate radical generosity.
Highlights from this year’s report include:
- Globally, the vast majority of people gave to others. We found that 84% of people worldwide donated time, money, items, or voice to others last year. Remarkably, most people (56%) gave in at least 3 of those ways.
- Giving behaviors are highly culturally dependent, with radically different giving ecosystems in different places. Of the countries we surveyed, Kenya was by far the most generous across all metrics.
- Younger generations were more generous than older generations globally. Our research shows that younger generations gave more often and in more ways in 2022. Older generations still donate more dollars in some countries, but younger generations are the most financially generous in others.
- In the USA, both donors (of money) and dollars were down. This double-whammy returns in 2022 for the first time since 2010. This alarming trend highlights the need for nonprofits to invest in resiliency by diversifying their donor base and tapping into the powerful cross-generational willingness to give that is present in nearly every community.
In addition to offering an analysis of giving trends, the 2022 Lookback Report also includes a suggested set of high-level strategic responses to the observed trends. However, to ensure that our reports and dashboards are as actionable as possible, the GivingTuesday Data Commons will soon be launching a complementary initiative that will provide a steady stream of practical and timely tools and tactics to increase giving and maximize organizational resiliency and impact.
This report could not have been produced without the support of our many partners, and we thank them for their contributions. We operate within an exciting research context and are fortunate to work in collaboration – and in collegial conversation with – many of the most rigorous researchers in our field.
“Here at the GivingTuesday Data Commons,” says Chief Data Officer Woodrow Rosenbaum, “we aim to bring the same sorts of data-driven tools to the social sector that the business sector has had for decades. We’re working to enable the development and implementation of far more effective evidence-based campaigns and creating opportunities to move beyond outdated transactional models and explore more diverse, distributed, responsive, and enduring relational strategies.”
