Giving to top charities rose 3.7% in 2020, driven by wealthy

By EMILY HAYNES and MICHAEL THEIS of The Chronicle of Philanthropy
Chronicle of Philanthropy

In the wake of the most devastating public-health emergency in a century and the resulting economic uncertainty, Americans provided more charitable dollars to United Way Worldwide than any other nonprofit focused on direct aid, followed by the Salvation Army and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, according to new rankings by the Chronicle of Philanthropy. The most striking increase in charitable giving last year came at Feeding America, a national network of more than 200 food banks, which grew the fastest of the 100 nonprofits in the Chronicle rankings. Feeding America raised over $515 million last year, more than three-and-a-half times what it brought in in 2019.