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13. Charitable solicitations highlights
Contributions received by registered charities with 2016 fiscal year end
Based on overall financial reports filed by charities before Nov. 30, 2017 with a reporting period ending any time between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2016. Includes charities that used paid solicitors.
| Received by | Charity count | Total $ in millions | High $ in millions | Average $ in millions | Low $ in millions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All charities | Charity count 11,113 | Total in millions 93,193 | High in millions 3,190 | Average in millions 8.4 | Low in millions 0 |
| Colorado-based charities | Charity count 6,948 | Total in millions 4,715 | High in millions 278 | Average in millions 0.68 | Low in millions 0 |
Results of solicitation campaign financial reports filed in 2017
| Total gross proceeds | $761 million |
| Total net proceeds to charities | $642 million |
| Percentage of total gross proceeds to charity | 84% |
| Solicitation campaign reports filed | 429 |
| Paid solicitors listed on campaign reports | 57 |
| Charities listed on campaign reports | 268 |
Note about 2017 data on solicitation campaigns:
The 84% ratio of net proceeds to charity seems excellent at first glance, yet if two unique campaigns conducted on behalf of Network for Good, Inc. ($301 million gross) and The U.S. Charitable Gift Trust ($242 million gross) are subtracted from the totals, the overall percent to charity drops to 51.5%. These are very large donor advised funds that retain 98% and 97%, respectively, of the gross funds raised.
Giving USA 2017 report highlights
This frequently quoted annual study shows the sources of funding for charities nationally in 2016.
| Source | $ in billions | % of total | % change from 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individuals | Individual $ in billions 281.86 | Individual % of total 72.3 | Individual % change from 2015 3.9 |
| Foundations | Foundations $ in billions 59.28 | Foundations % of total 15.2 | Foundations % change from 2015 3.5 |
| Bequests | Bequests $ in billions 30.36 | Bequests % of total 7.8 | Bequests % change from 2015 -9.0 |
| Corporations | Corporations $ in billions 18.55 | Corporations % of total 4.8 | Corporations % change from 2015 3.5 |
| All Americans | All Americans $ in billions 390.05 | All Americans % of total 100 | All Americans % change from 2015 2.7 |
Source: Giving USA is Giving USA is Giving USA 2017: The Annual Report on Philanthropy for the Year 2016, www.givingusa.org.