More bequest giving and more cautious giving, suggests Slate 60

Eight of the top 11 gifts in the 2008 Slate 60 list, which tracks the US’s largest philanthropic contributions, are bequests, an unprecedented number say the list’s compilers, Slate.com. This is an indication, they believe, of the fact that the recession is affecting individual giving. Although the total figure is up from the previous year’s ($7.79 billion to $15.78 billion), bequests account for $11.64 of it. The list suggests giving is more conservative than usual, with the tried and trusted areas of education, healthcare and the arts even more strongly represented than usual.

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