COVID-19, Generosity, and Gender: How Giving Changed During the Early Months of a Global Pandemic

Abstract

The spring of 2020 was marked by disruptions to society on a level many Americans had never experienced. The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) had a devastating human toll, infecting more than 1.7 million individuals and resulting in more than 100,000 deaths in the U.S. through May 2020. Beyond examining whether and how much households contributed, the report explores the types of philanthropy in which they participated and how their charitable giving changed. The study also pinpoints the effect of specific elements of the crisis on their giving. Finally, to provide a more nuanced picture of philanthropic responses to the pandemic, the report highlights differences across household types, with a particular focus on gender and marital status.