Charitable giving jumps in NC by $17 million

RALEIGH, N.C. — While North Carolinians were far more generous with charitable giving this year, a report released Friday shows that residents also used more discretion in choosing their recipients.

The report from the North Carolina Secretary of State's Office shows that residents gave $43.6 million to charities licensed by the state from July 2011 to June 2012, a significant jump from the year before. From July 2010 to June 2011, a total of $26.7 million was given. "It is clear the people of our great state are doing everything they can to help those in need and to support good works in this challenging time," Secretary of State Elaine Marshall said in a statement. "The new numbers show us that North Carolinians are really trying to make good decisions about who to give to." The report also showed that charities received $23.7 million from fundraising campaigns, averaging a 54.3 percent net return for each dollar donated. This is an increase from the net return of 49.5 percent in 2010-11.  "These numbers and percents of return tell us charities are making smarter contracts with fundraisers and that more donations – both in terms of amount and percent – are reaching the charities after administrative costs are paid," Marshall said. In national or multistate fundraising campaigns reported to the office that included North Carolina donors, only 42.6 percent of each dollar given went directly to the charities.  "This means that when you look at the donation choices North Carolinians made, in general, our folks gave to more efficiently run fundraising campaigns than people in other states did," Marshall said. The annual report can be viewed on the Secretary of State's website.