Children’s charities, women’s rights organizations cited as most popular causes to receive incremental support; Millennials identified as group most likely to increase charitable engagement, giving
ATLANTA (Dec. 8, 2016) — In response to the recent U.S. presidential election, a quarter (25 percent) of Americans either already have or plan to increase their support for nonprofits and charities, according to a new online survey commissioned by the global humanitarian group CARE.
In a survey of 2,054 adults conducted online from Nov. 28-30, 2016 by Harris Poll, 15 percent of Americans said their stepped-up support for charitable organizations has or will come through donations, with additional support coming in the form of increased time volunteering (14 percent) and/or advocating (16 percent) on behalf of nonprofits or charities. Younger Americans seem to be driving the trend, with Millennials (those ages 18-34) and Gen-Xers (those ages 35 to 44) twice as likely to say they have or will increase their support for a charity because of the presidential election than those ages 45 and older (34 percent vs. 17 percent).
More than half (52 percent) of those ramping up their charitable support as a result of the election said they are doing so because it is one way they can affect change, 41 percent cite a belief that the U.S. needs to remain engaged in the world and 40 percent say the organizations they care about are under threat.
“No matter which candidate one supported, this exceptionally divisive presidential campaign surfaced the passions of many Americans on issues ranging from immigration and race to the status of women and America’s role in the world,” said Michelle Nunn, president and CEO of CARE, which responds to humanitarian crises and fights global poverty by empowering women and girls. “It is encouraging to see individuals channeling that energy toward causes they care about and groups they believe need their support more than ever.”
When asked what type of nonprofit or charity their increased support has or is going toward, half of those Americans (50 percent) said children’s charities, followed by groups supporting women’s reproductive rights/family planning (35 percent), environmental protection (33 percent) and women’s empowerment/women’s rights (28 percent). Groups focused on access to health care (27 percent), LGBTQ rights (25 percent), race relations (25 percent) and international humanitarian aid/global poverty (24 percent) also were high on the list.
Asked how their interest in working with people of different political views to solve pressing social issues has changed as a result of the U.S. presidential election, twice as many Americans (20 percent) said they are more interested than those who said they are less interested (10 percent), while the remainder (70 percent) said their interest has stayed the same. Once again, younger people lead the way, with those ages 18 to 34 nearly twice as likely to be more interested in working with people of different political views to solve pressing social issues (31 percent) because of the election compared with those who are 35 or older (16 percent).
“While younger adults have been criticized for not playing a larger role in the political process, our survey indicates that the recent election has spurred them into action in terms of increased charitable giving, volunteerism and time spent advocating for causes they care passionately about,” Nunn said. “More importantly, these young adults are far more likely to want to work with those who see the world differently from them to solve problems. That’s good news for them and for our country’s future.”
CARE’s advocacy network, called CARE Action, is currently advocating for policies that combat violence against women around the world and, since the election, has seen a surge of interest and engagement in this issue. Giving on care.org also is up 38 percent since the election, compared to the same period last year. And this week CARE launched the #DreamWithHer initiative, a holiday gift experience for people who want to support global causes, particularly those related to women and girls and poverty. It allows the public to interact with inspirational girls from Malawi who are overcoming long odds. The public can visit www.facebook.com/carefans and www.twitter.com/CARE to learn more, interact with the girls and #DreamWithHer by shopping CARE’s gift catalog.
Other notable findings in the survey include:
- On average, Americans who have or plan to increase monetary donations to a nonprofit or charity as a result of the presidential election say they will increase the amount of money they donate by 31 percent.
- Among those who typically donate at the end of the year, nearly a third (31 percent) said they have or plan to increase their charitable support because of the U.S. presidential election, including 22 percent through increased donations.
- More than a third of college graduates (34 percent) say they have or will increase support charities because of the election, compared to 20 percent of people without a college degree.
About CARE
Founded in 1945 with the creation of the CARE Package®, CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. CARE places special focus on working alongside women and girls because, equipped with the proper resources, they have the power to lift whole families and entire communities out of poverty. That’s why women and girls are at the heart of CARE’s community-based efforts to improve education and health, create economic opportunity, respond to emergencies and confront hunger. Last year CARE worked in 95 countries and reached more than 65 million people around the world. To learn more, visit www.care.org.
Media Contacts
Brian Feagans, bfeagans@care.org; 404-979-9453
Nicole Harris, nharris@care.org, 404-735-0871
Survey Methodology
This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Poll on behalf of CARE from November 28-30, 2016 among 2,054 U.S. adults ages 18 and older. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables, please contact Brian Feagans at bfeagans@care.org.