Several of the nation’s
largest religious charities reported increases in private support as nonprofits
overall saw decreases in donations last year, The Chronicle of Philanthropy
reported.
Feed the Children, which
ranked fifth in the annual Philanthropy 400, had a 1.2 percent increase in
private support, which totaled $1.19 billion. World Vision saw a 4.5 percent
increase in its private support, which totaled $870 million, giving it the No.
9 rank on the list.
Catholic Charities USA was
ranked third, with a 66 percent increase from the previous year — a figure that
the social service organization has questioned. According to the publication,
Catholic Charities’ private support totaled $1.28 billion.
“There’s a question about
the accuracy of the percentage of increase, and we’re talking with The
Chronicle of Philanthropy about it,” said Roger Conner, spokesman for Catholic
Charities USA.
Overall, donations to the
country’s largest charities dropped by 11 percent last year.
The Salvation Army, which
ranked second, saw a decrease of 8.4 percent in its private support, which
totaled $1.7 billion. Food for the Poor, which ranked sixth, had a 27.6 percent
drop in private donations, which totaled $1.07 billion.
Other religious
organizations in the top 25 included:
- Habitat for Humanity
International, 3.8 percent decrease
- Operation Blessing
International, 16.4 percent increase
- Campus Crusade for Christ,
2.3 percent decrease.
The publication bases its
rankings on charities’ reports of cash and other gifts received from private
sources.