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Abstract

In this article, the authors provide a tentative answer to a vexing statistical question about the level of charitable giving in the United States: Why does the Indepndent Sector's (IS) Survey of Giving and Volunteering consistently estimate personal contributions to nonprofit organizations to be 65% to 75% lower than correspondingestimates reported by the American Association of Fund-Raising Counsel (AAFRC). The authors' analysis of several additional surveys suggests that there is sufficient new evidence to conclude that average annual household giving is closer to an AAFRC-based estimate of $1,167 than to the IS's published estimate of $696. This would herald the good news that levels of charitable giving are indeed higher-at least 34% and perhaps up to 48% higher-than previously reported from survey data. These findings indicate that a substantial upward revision in the perceived amount of annual charitable giving is in order.

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References

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Embarking on a Republic of Benevolence? New Survey Findings on Charitable Giving

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