Third Annual Sunshine State Survey

Floridians' Charitable Giving & Views on Nonprofit Leadership
January 2009

Presented by Leadership Florida in partnership with Florida Philanthropic Network, Jessie Ball duPont Fund, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and Florida Press Association.

The vast majority of Floridians made financial contributions to charitable organizations in 2008, and most gave the same or more to charity in 2008 than in previous year.  That's one of the key findings of Leadership Florida's Third Annual Sunshine State Survey, a statewide survey of Florida residents that included questions on charitable giving for the first time in the survey's history.

Individual Charitable Giving in Florida

Key findings on individual Floridians' charitable giving:

> Three-quarters (75%) of Floridians donated money to a charitable organization during 2008.

> Nearly one-quarter (23%) of Floridians gave less than $100 to charitable organizations in Florida in 2008, while an additional one-quarter (24%) gave between $100 and $250.  14% of Florida residents gave more than $1,000 to charity.

> 64% of Floridians either gave the same to charity (41%) or more to charity (23%) in 2008 than in 2007, while 35% gave less.

Views on Nonprofit Leadership in Florida

The Sunshine State Survey also reveals Floridians' attitudes on nonprofit leaders in the state.  Overall, the Sunshine State's residents held a more positive view of Florida's nonprofit leaders in 2008 than in the previous two years.

Key findings on Floridians' views of nonprofit leadership:

> 43% of Floridians gave an overall job rating of “excellent” (6%) or “good” (37%) to the state's social service/nonprofit leaders, which was higher than in either 2007 (39%) or 2006 (38%).

> 41% of Floridians rated their faith in social service/nonprofit leaders as either “excellent” (5%) or “good” (36%), which is a notable increase from 2007 (34%) and 2006 (29%).

More Information

Third Annual Sunshine State Survey Summary: Charitable Giving & Nonprofit Leadership
Download a summary report of the results of the survey questions focused on charitable giving and social service/nonprofit leadership.

2008 Sunshine State Survey
Get complete results of the 2008 Sunshine State Survey, with information on Floridian's views in such areas as education, taxes, the economy and quality of life.