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The information on this page is archived and provided for reference purposes only. It may be outdated or no longer maintained.SoS home > Charities & fundraisers > 2018 annual report > Table of contents > Charitable solicitations highlights
10. Charitable solicitations highlights 2018
Contributions received by registered charities with 2017 fiscal year end
Based on overall financial reports filed by charities before November 30, 2018, with a reporting period ending any time between January 1, 2017, and December 31, 2017. 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 11,633 | Total in millions 96,002 | High in millions 3,078 | Average in millions 8.3 | Low in millions 0 |
| Colorado-based charities | Charity count 7,321 | Total in millions 4.7 | High in millions 187 | Average in millions 0.6 | Low in millions 0 |
Results of solicitation campaign financial reports filed in 2018
| Total gross proceeds | $708,547,281 |
| Total net proceeds to charities | $593,275,215 |
| Percentage of total gross proceeds to charity | 83.7% |
| Solicitation campaign reports filed | 372 |
| Paid solicitors listed on campaign reports | 61 |
| Charities listed on campaign reports | 262 |
Note about 2018 data on solicitation campaigns:
The 83.7% ratio of net proceeds to charity seems excellent at first glance, yet if two unique solicitation campaigns conducted on behalf of Network for Good, Inc. ($394 million gross) and The U.S. Charitable Gift Trust ($149 million gross) are subtracted from the totals, the overall percent to charity drops to 40.4%. These are very large donor advised funds that retain 98% and 95%, respectively, of the gross funds raised.
Giving USA 2018 report highlights
This frequently quoted annual study shows the sources of funding for charities nationally in 2017.
| Source | $ in billions | % of total | % change from 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individuals | Individual $ in billions 282.65 | Individual % of total 70% | Individual % change from 2016 +5.2% |
| Foundations | Foundations $ in billions 66.90 | Foundations % of total 16% | Foundations % change from 2016 +6.0% |
| Bequests | Bequests $ in billions 35.7 | Bequests % of total 9% | Bequests % change from 2016 +2.3% |
| Corporations | Corporations $ in billions 20.77 | Corporations % of total 5% | Corporations % change from 2016 +8.0% |
| All Americans | All Americans $ in billions 410.02 | All Americans % of total 100% | All Americans % change from 2016 +5.2% |
Source: Giving USA is Giving USA is Giving USA 2018: The Annual Report on Philanthropy for the Year 2017, www.givingusa.org.