Should You Continue Giving to Charity During Covid-19? For a variety of reasons, entrepreneurs are answering 'yes.'

It's fair to say corporate responsibility, pro-bono work and giving to those in need are essential pursuits in today's world. It's not just the right thing to do; today's incoming employees, and particularly millennials, view charitable giving and support as a given and even evaluate prospective employers based on the amount of support they give and to whom.

Sources like Marc Benioff, Chairman and CEO of Salesforce.com, have famously championed the Pledge 1% campaign to challenge businesses to commit one percent of equity, time, product and profit to charitable causes, and if possible, to give much more. But how have the events of 2020 affected these realities and trends? So far, the response has been favorable. According to Philanthropy News Digest, 7 in 10 U.S. corporate funders increased giving during Covid-19, while 43.7 percent awarded more grants, a report from the Charities Aid Foundation of America (CAF America) finds.

But if 2021 brings a Covid-19 recession, what will happen? Historically, we can see the economic decline in 2008 and 2009 produced an approximate 10 percent reduction in giving. This could be especially problematic for less visible or socially popular programs like those that assist the disabled, who are also some of the hardest hit by 2020's events.