A thriving stock market (measured by the S&P 500 index) doesn’t translate to more charitable giving. According to a decade of data collected by the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability:
- When stock value increased nearly 30 percent in 2013, giving to charity decreased by about 1.5 percent.
- Stock value went up more than 11 percent in 2014, and charitable giving from individuals and organizations increased by nearly 6 percent
- Stock value declined slightly in 2015, while giving increased another 5 percent.
- Rates of giving also appear to be disconnected from changes in median household income and gross domestic product.
