Charitable Giving Drops Sharply Amid Recession, United Way Scandal; Poll Finds Donors' Confidence in Nonprofit Groups Is Slipping
The amount of money Americans gave to charities in 1991 plunged to its lowest level in at least five years, as the recession squeezed household budgets and confidence in the United Way and other nonprofits sagged, according to a new national survey.</br></br>Billed as the most comprehensive look at charitable-giving patterns to date, the survey for a Washington-based group of charitable organizations said the typical U.S. household gave $649 to charities, churches and other nonprofit groups last year, down from the average $806 donation in 1990.</br></br>The 1991 figure, which was adjusted for inflation, marked the smallest average giving amount since the Gallup polling organization began surveying households for the Independent Sector, an umbrella group serving nonprofit groups nationwide.</br></br>The latest poll of 2,600 people, which surveyed giving on the basis of age, race and income, seemed to confirm what many charities in the Washington area and elsewhere already have experienced: Meager increases or declines in giving, as the lean economy has pushed demand for food, shelter and other services to record levels.</br></br>This year, the picture has grown even more bleak because thousands of charities receive most of their funds through the auspices of United Way, whose national organization was rocked by scandal.