The State Also Has the 12th Highest Volunteer Rate in the Nation
The Oregon Community Foundation (OCF) released the 2016 Giving in Oregon Report. The report found that Oregon nonprofits received $2.1 billion in donations in 2014, up from $1.76 billion in 2013. (2014 is the latest year for which complete IRS data is available.) In Central Oregon, close to 730 organizations received more than $65million, a 21 percent increase in Crook County, 31 percent increase in Deschutes County and a 141 percent increase in Jefferson County from 2013.
OCF has tracked philanthropy and its effects on the state’s nonprofit sector and those it serves for more than a dozen years through the Giving in Oregon Report. OCF has also released the 2016 Volunteering in Oregon Report, designed to identify recommendations and actions for how OCF and its partners can encourage and support volunteer engagement and service in Oregon.
Contributions to Oregon nonprofits increased by 17 percent between 2013 and 2014 and have increased by 40 percent, or nearly $600 million since 2010. The education sector in Oregon continues to be a big beneficiary of contributions, receiving nearly one-third of all contributions, or $664 million in 2014. This was an increase of $108 million over 2013 levels. Contributions to most other sectors also increased between 2013 and 2014. After education, health, human services and housing nonprofits saw the largest increases in the dollar amount of contributions.
Additionally, individual Oregonians donated more as a percentage of their income in 2014 compared to 2013 and 2010. In 2014, Oregonians reported giving 2.28 percent of their adjusted gross income to charitable causes, compared with 2.19 percent in 2013.
The Volunteering in Oregon Report also pointed out some positive findings about the generosity of Oregonians. The average annual number of hours volunteered by Oregonians is 35 percent higher than the national average, with Oregonians contributing an estimated 137 million hours of their time in 2014. Volunteers gave their time serving on boards of directors, in fund-raising activities and in administrative roles. Volunteers also served organizations by supporting program and service deliveries and providing community education and awareness.
Volunteers enable organizations to increase program and service quality, overall level of service, cost savings and public support. Volunteers also reported benefits from volunteering, including gaining new experience and giving back to their communities.
“We are pleased to see overall increased contributions reflected in the 2016 Giving in Oregon Report,” said OCF President and CEO Max Williams. “In addition, the generosity of Oregonians in giving time as well as money reaffirms the belief that Oregon has a strong dedication to improving the quality of life in our communities and around the state. It is important to understand the critical role nonprofit organizations play in our state and renew our commitment to support this important work.”
Find more data on 2014 contributions as a percentage of income and contributions by Oregon countyby reading the Giving inOregon Report and details about volunteering across the state in the Volunteering in Oregon Report.
The mission of The Oregon Community Foundation is to improve life for all Oregonians through the power of philanthropy. OCF works with individuals, families, businesses and organizations to create charitable funds to support the community causes they care about. Through these funds OCF awarded more than $100 million in grants and scholarships in 2015. For more information about OCF, please visit: http://www.oregoncf.org.
