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The State Of Giving In The United States : 1A Giving season is upon us. And some may say today, Giving Tuesday, kicks it off. And the U.S. is certainly on the generous side.

Last year, giving between corporations, foundations, and individuals amounted to more than $500 billion. However, those numbers are on a decline when you compare them to what people gave in the immediate aftermath of the pandemic.

But when you look at the long view, giving has increased by billions. Between 1954 and 2016, total giving went from $54 billion to $390 billion.

We discuss where these billions are coming from and how those numbers have changed.

Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Connect with us. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.

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The State Of Giving In The United States

The State Of Giving In The United States

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A view of gifts as St. Jude Children's Research Hospital hosts the #GiveThanks Holiday Pop-Up for #GivingTuesday in New York City. Monica Schipper/Getty Images for St. Jude Childr hide caption

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Monica Schipper/Getty Images for St. Jude Childr

A view of gifts as St. Jude Children's Research Hospital hosts the #GiveThanks Holiday Pop-Up for #GivingTuesday in New York City.

Monica Schipper/Getty Images for St. Jude Childr

Giving season is upon us. And some may say today, Giving Tuesday, kicks it off. And the U.S. is certainly on the generous side.

Last year, giving between corporations, foundations, and individuals amounted to more than $500 billion. However, those numbers are on a decline when you compare them to what people gave in the immediate aftermath of the pandemic.

But when you look at the long view, giving has increased by billions. Between 1954 and 2016, total giving went from $54 billion to $390 billion.

But where are these billions coming from and how have those numbers changed?

Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.