Stock market rise has provided a boost for charitable giving

Overall charitable giving rose 2.3% during the three months that ended on Oct. 31, driven in part by the rising stock market, according to Blackbaud Inc.

Blackbaud does not release total numbers for the amount of money given over that period. But the Blackbaud Index data looked at 3,828 charities that raised more than $12 billion over the last year.

The Charleston, S.C.-based Blackbaud Inc. is a public company that tracks charitable giving.

Blackbaud also works with more than 29,000 nonprofit organizations in more than 60 countries that support higher education, healthcare, human services and other issues.

“This year has been a better year for the nonprofit sector than it has been in a number of years,” said Chuck Longfield, Blackbaud’s chief scientist and creator of the Index.

Longfield added: “Giving is very dependent on the stock market, which is at an all-time high. With the improving economy, some of the uncertainty has been removed. People tend to donate more when they feel wealthier, and the stock market helps with that.”

Online giving, which still accounted for only 7% of overall donations in 2012, was up by a much greater percentage of 9.9% over the three months that ended Oct. 31, Blackbaud officials said.

“It’s a general trend that follows the trust in online banking and online shopping,” said Melanie Mathos, senior public relations manager for Blackbaud Inc.

Mathos added: “People feel more comfortable about giving online and charities are becoming more savvy about soliciting donors online.”

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