I received a phone message from a ministry that simply said, “Bill, I’m sure that all your wealthy donors just need to hear about us–we’re a great ministry!” His statement was bold, but was it true?

A U.S. Trust/Lilly Family School of Philanthropy 2016 study of high-net-worth philanthropy contained some surprising findings:

1. While they want help in identifying volunteer opportunities (42%), they also want help in engaging the younger generation in giving (20%).
2. Sixty-seven percent said they need help in identifying causes to support, but 50% also needed help in understanding how much they could give.
3. They support a wide variety of causes–basic needs 63%, religious 50%, health 40%, youth 36%, and so on. Arts and education were 27% and 31%.
4. They are unsure of the impact of their giving–54%. But 78% said they don’t keep track of impact.
5. Only 24% of the wealthy are also politically motivated in their giving.

Not surprising: 84% want to maintain their privacy, and 61% still want a “thank you.”

Related articles:
6 Facts for Understanding High Net Worth Giving
10 Key Statistics on Family Legacy
50% of High-Net-Worth Families Have Not Disclosed Wealth to Their Children

Bill High

Bill is CEO & Founder of Vyne Legacy. He works with families to equip them with tools to build multigenerational legacies, and he teaches givers and financial advisers on transformational biblical generosity. He is the co-author with David Green of Giving It All Away and Getting It All Back Again: The Way of Living Generously.

Published May 14, 2018

Topics: Giving Trends

Charitable GivingFamily WealthMajor Donors