Posted on October 3, 2012

Education Among Issues That Matter Most to High-Net-Worth Donors, Study Finds

Bank of America has released early findings from its annual study of high-net-worth donors.

According to the survey of seven hundred households, education (60 percent), health care (45 percent), the economy (38 percent), and poverty (34 percent) were the social issues that mattered most to high-net-worth households. The survey also found that religious (36 percent), education (25 percent), and healthcare (8 percent) organizations received the bulk of respondents' largest gifts in 2011, and that nearly half (48 percent) of those surveyed make their largest gift decision jointly with their spouse/partner.

In addition, 43 percent of the households surveyed said they make more charitable contributions during the holiday season (October to December) than during the rest of the year, while 44 percent said they spread their giving evenly over the calendar year. Lastly, 24 percent said they expect to give more over the next three to five years, while slightly more than half (52 percent) plan to continue giving at their current levels and only 9 percent expect to cut back on their charitable giving.

The complete report, the Bank of America Study of High Net Worth Philanthropy, will be available later this month.