Americans gave nearly $450 billion to charity last year -- one of the highest amounts on record -- as lawmakers seek options to expand tax breaks for donors amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Charitable giving rose 2.4% in 2019, after adjusting for inflation, according to an annual survey by Giving USA released Tuesday. Individual giving accounted for about 69% of all donations, but the biggest increase was by corporations. Businesses gave about $21 billion last year, an increase of 11.4% from 2018, once adjusted for inflation. Giving by foundations also reached a record high of $75.7 billion.
“In recent years we’ve...