Charitable Giving Down in 2009

The Chronicle of Philanthropy reported this week that giving to the 400 largest charities in the United States was down 11 percent overall in 2009, the worst drop in the two decades since the Chronicle began ranking its Philanthropy 400. Collectively, the 400 top charities raised over $68 billion last year, about $7 billion less than in 2008. Ten Catholic institutions made the top 400 this year, and many seemed to buck the downward trend. The only agency in the top 10 was Catholic Charities USA, which ranked third. It brought in $1.28 billion last year, a 66 percent increase over the prior year. Three other service agencies are in the 400. They are: Catholic Medical Mission Board (No. 52) with $279 million, up 35.5 percent; Catholic Relief Services (No. 67), with $240 million, up only 0.7 percent; and the Phoenix-based St. Mary’s Food Bank (No. 152), which raised $127 million, up 53.5 percent. Father Flanagan’s Boy’s Home in Nebraska (No. 160) brought in $121 million, up 130.8 percent.