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CHICAGO — An authoritative annual survey says charitable giving fell by 3.6 percent in 2009 as Americans continued to struggle with the recession.
Some philanthropic experts feared that percentage would have been much worse. The survey released today by the Giving USA Foundation found Americans donated $303.75 billion during 2009. The 3.6 percent drop was the second worst decline since the foundation started its reports in 1956. The worst was in 1974, when giving fell an inflation- adjusted 5.5 percent.
However, 2009 also was the third straight year giving reached more than $300 billion.
