Recession and cynicism hurting charitable giving

Are you getting inundated with those end-of-year solicitations from your favorite charities? 'Tis the season to give your last tax-deductible donations.

Photo by HeatherPaque

2016 has been a big year for many nonprofits. Groups that support progressive causes are reporting record donations after November’s election, with Planned Parenthood and the ACLU topping the list. Some 82,000 of Planned Parenthood’s donations were gifts made in the name of Vice President-elect Mike Pence. That said, Americans give less to charity than they did just a decade ago. What makes us open and close our wallets to charity? We ask Jonathan Meer, Assistant Professor of Economics at Texas A&M University and the lead author on the paper, "The Great Recession and Charitable Giving," published in the National Bureau of Economic Research.