Tempel “Hoosiers have always been very generous in supporting causes that improve the lives of others, and they demonstrated that with their charitable contributions in 2003.” —Gene Tempel, director

More than 75 percent of total contributions benefited Indiana non-profits. Indiana households accounted for more than 76 percent of total contributions, giving more than $3.7 billion. Independent and community foundations gave more than $695 million, while corporations gave $438 million.

Indiana households gave an average of $1,872, 13 percent lower than the estimated national average. However, 79 percent of Indiana households contributed, compared to 69 percent nationally.

Corporate giving in Indiana was approximately 3.3 percent of total estimated corporate giving in the U.S. for 2003.

With 2 percent of the nation’s estimated for-profit employees, the numbers suggest Indiana firms are above average in their giving. The largest share of total Indiana contributions was given to religious organizations, which received more than 39 percent ($1.9 billion) of total giving. The second largest share (15.3 percent) went to human service organizations.

Giving to public-society benefit non-profits, which include economic development and appeals such as United Way, was 14.2 percent of total giving.

Other findings:

• Indiana households gave a larger percentage (15.2 percent) of contributions to human service organizations than did national households (8.7 percent).

• National households gave a larger percentage (57 percent) to religious organizations than did Indiana households (49.8 percent).

• Indiana foundations gave higher percentages than national foundations to the arts, human services, public-society benefit, education and religion.

• Hoosier foundations gave a lower percentage of grant dollars to health and the environment.

For an expanded version of this story, go to this Web site:

http://www.philanthropy.iupui.edu/nr-IndianaGives2003.html