Salvation Army Tops in Donations Received

Americans gave $23.5 billion to the nation’s 400 biggest charities last year, giving most generously to the Salvation Army, the American Red Cross and Catholic Charities USA. Giving was up 5% from a year earlier, the Chronicle of Philanthropy’s annual survey of the 400 nonprofit organizations receiving the most private money showed. The 1994 increase was 6.3%. Charities on the newspaper’s “Philanthropy 400” list received about $1 out of every $6 donated to nonprofit groups. Although donations to the Salvation Army dropped by 11.3%, that organization topped the list for the fourth consecutive year with collections of $644.3 million. The American Red Cross, No. 2 for three years, raised $456.6 million, a 7.9% drop from 1994. A 25% increase in giving to Catholic Charities USA boosted that organization from No. 7 to No. 3.