Donors aren’t planning to pull back on giving in 2018

Is there a ‘Trump bump’ in giving? While donations to many nonprofits rose at the end of 2016, the Chronicle of Philanthropy reports (paywall) that donations have not waned. The 2016 election kicked donors and changemakers into a new gear, but there’s no downshifting. In fact, we’re seeing increased support from many donors in late 2017 and early 2018.

Charities of a variety of missions say their supporters remain highly motivated.

At Tides Foundation, which helps donors connect with and support social-justice causes, officials are uncertain what impact the new federal tax law will have on their donors. (The new law doubles the standard deduction for taxpayers and thus eliminates an incentive for charitable giving for all but the wealthiest donors.)

But they’re not worried.

Tides’s high-net worth donors “have given far more than they can get back in taxes,” says Amanda Keton, managing director of the nonprofit’s Advocacy Fund. She’s not hearing from supporters that they plan to pull back on giving in 2018. “What we’re hearing is that they’re very energized, and they feel their philanthropy matters more than ever.”

Suzanne Nossel, Tides board director and executive director of PEN America, also weighed in:

“People are fighting a sense of futility,” she says. “They feel, how do I play a role in the fight? If you can offer a way to do that, that’s inspiring and motivating.”