Those with less Are Giving More . . . and Those with More Are Giving . . ?

The Chronicle of Philanthropy released a study of charitable giving between 2006-2012, showing that lower and middle income Americans are giving more, as a share of total income than before, and that higher income Americans are giving less as a share of total income.

As noted in the New York Times story regarding the study, released October 6, 2014, the change appears to be almost a mirror image, as those earning less than $100,000 increased their giving by 4.5{93997c19cca2413204031df21c26e128a46aabe0f65d6d1b886d87d0d40a7681}, and those earning $200,000 or more decreased their donations by 4.6{93997c19cca2413204031df21c26e128a46aabe0f65d6d1b886d87d0d40a7681}.

Before we start haranguing the wealthy on their parsimony however, the Times notes that the editor of the Chronicle points out a total increase in donations by $4.6 billion by the wealthy. So more is being given, just as a smaller percentage of their overall income.

The story by Jess Bidgood, Study Finds Shifts in Charitable Giving After Recession, The New York Times, Oct. 6, 2014, has a lot more to say on the subject and is worth a read.