"According to the recently released Giving USA 2021 report, released by the Giving USA Foundation, total charitable giving in the United States increased by 3.8%, adjusted for inflation, in 2020.

"In a year marked by uncertainty, advancement professionals, working with institution leaders and colleagues, were able to build strong relationships with donors to realize philanthropic support. Giving to education, specifically, rose 7.7%, adjusted for inflation, in 2020. I’m grateful to see that giving to independent schools, colleges, and universities continues to be a priority as these institutions transform lives and society through knowledge building, research, and giving back to their communities.

"While giving was up in 2020, we know that educational institutions are just beginning to recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is critical that U.S. tax policy continue to incentivize all Americans, regardless of income, to give more to schools, colleges, and universities. That is why CASE strongly supports and continues to advocate for the expansion and extension of the temporary universal charitable deduction included in COVID-relief legislation enacted in 2020. A more robust universal charitable deduction will encourage broad and inclusive philanthropic engagement at every level.

"We are also proud to serve our members as the leader in tracking charitable giving to educational institutions through our CASE AMAtlas Voluntary Support of Education survey. The next VSE results, which will cover the July 1, 2020, through June 30, 2021, time period, will be released in February 2022."