The stock market continued to do well , and many investments did not suffer substantially .
Overall , according to new data from the US Giving Institute ( Giving USA Foundation ), Americans have been more generous than ever . In 2020 Americans gave over $ 471 billion to charity , a 5.1 % percent increase over 2019 .
Giving by individuals represents 69 % of the total , or a staggering $ 324 billion , representing an increase of 2.2 percent from the previous year . Giving by foundations has grown by about 17 percent since the previous year , up to a total to $ 88 billion .
Americans are generous and I want to believe that the human spirit is as well . Our clients and their congregations have shown that same spirit to us .
St . Paul ’ s Episcopal Church in Syracuse is stunning , built in 1884 of Onondaga limestone in Gothic Revival style . It stands tall and elegant , with a spire that soars over 200 feet into the sky on the corner of Montgomery and Fayette Street . It ’ s a lively parish that deeply cares for its community , a parish that we learned was ready to go the extra mile to help and witness the gospel across the city and region .
Partners for Sacred Places had been working with St . Paul ’ s for several years on different projects , and in 2020 was retained to serve as the church ’ s capital campaign consultants . As the Rector , The Rev . Philip Major stated , “ We were surprised and heartened by the strong response of our congregation to a capital campaign conducted almost entirely through video conferencing . I would not have believed it possible for members , even those in their nineties , to meet us and make very generous pledges of support . My personal experience was that our conversations with members were powerful , even spiritually uplifting , for everyone involved . We learned that many components of Partners ’ method were
Illustration from St . Paul ’ s case statement , showing Lockwood Parish House in relation to the church . Elizabeth L . Crawford , Crawford & Stearns / Architects & Preservation Planners , PLLC
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