Increase Individual Philanthropic Giving

SA2020 is working with partners to identify a source for reliable, Bexar County-specific data for this indicator.

Previously measured by individuals who claim contributions on their tax returns, philanthropic giving showed a significant drop in 2018. This can be attributed, in part, to federal legislation that increased the standard deduction for charitable giving. As of 2018, total itemized deductions must exceed $12,000 for individuals (up from $6,350 in 2017) and $24,000 for married couples (up from $12,700 in 2017). In 2020, as part of The CARES Act, taxpayers who don't itemize deductions may take a charitable deduction of up to $300 for cash contributions made in 2020 to qualifying organizations.

National research for Giving USA by Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy shows that individual giving continues to make up the largest category of philanthropic giving in the U.S., and in 2021, individual giving made up nearly 70% of all gifts with a total of $326.87 billion. Giving by foundations make up about 19% of all total gifts at $90.88 billion, while corporate philanthropy comes in at $21.08 billion–a significant growth over 2020, and still only approximately .7% of corporate pre-tax profits.