USA: More people give donations than vote

Americans are giving wealth for charity at record rates, donating a record $373.25 billion the last year, according to Giving USA’s latest report.

The charity rates were also found to be higher than the voter turnouts in elections over the decades.

In last presidential election 53.6 percent of Americans voted and that same year, 59.7 percent gave to charity, a Philanthropy Panel Study concluded.

The american generosity at all economic levels has moved the donations to record-breaking numbers, according to Giving USA.

“Americans’ collective generosity would still be enormous even without those jaw-dropping gifts,” Patrick M. Rooney, associate dean for academic affairs and research at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, said in a statement. “Philanthropy is quite democratic and always has been … and $20, $10 and $1 gifts do make a cumulative difference.”

Contributions to religious causes led the way at $119.30 billion, up 2.7 percent from 2014. Donations to educational causes jumped to $57.48 billion, up 8.9 percent from 2014.