When it comes to giving to charity, Americans are reportedly giving less than they were a decade ago.
Fast Company reports that volunteering and charitable giving overall has dropped around 11% since the early 2000s. That number comes from Indiana University’s Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. The school has tracked philanthropic behavior over 9,000 individuals and families over the past 15 years.
All of the information from the group’s research is published on a new site called Generosity for Life.
On the site, users can see how volunteering and giving vary based on region and by year. For instance, in 2005 we all gave the most, averaging $1,024 annually. Then the recession hit, and we never went back to a comparable amount of giving. In 2015, the most recent year published on the site, individuals gave a median amount of $872.
The biggest factor spurring that decline, besides the economy, is religious affiliation. The group says that those affiliated with religious organizations are by in large more likely to give than those that are not.
