Several of the largest NGOs in the United States have seen substantial increases in public giving over the last two years, according to data shared with Devex.
December is traditionally the busiest period for giving in the U.S., and Devex reached out to the 10 largest NGOs listed as serving international needs on the Forbes list of the top 100 fundraising nonprofits to ask for information on the level of public support over the course of 2021.
Traditionally, Americans have given most of their money to domestic causes. The most recent report from the Philanthropy Network found that $25.9 billion out of $471.4 billion given by Americans, or 5.5% of all giving, was international.
But several NGO fundraising leaders at organizations spoken to said the year to date has seen successful growth in public giving, with others saying they had seen success since the start of the pandemic.
Some said they felt that the pandemic had been seen as a disaster situation, prompting responses from givers who would not normally support international causes. Others said the pandemic had caused Americans to focus more on their connection to the outside world, and this had created a shift in mindset.
Leaders said they had successfully adapted strategies to cope with shifts to virtual interaction, while others said they had continued to have success with traditional measures.
Several said they had changed the services they delivered, including providing more domestic services, and that they believed this had also positively influenced public support.