Charitable giving is on the rise in the U.S., and the political and economic uncertainty of the past year and the political environment in Washington D.C. may have something to do with it, according to the authors of the latest "Giving USA" report.

Donations to environmental and animal welfare issues, health, international organizations and arts organizations saw the largest growth, with increases of 6 percent or more, says the report, which measures giving for 2016.

“It is worth noting that the national policy environment shapes giving,” says Una Osili, professor of economics and director of research at The Lily Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University. The School of Philanthropy researches and writes the report.

“These areas have been getting a lot of attention recently, but it is a little early to know” what the full impact of the administrative changes in Washington will be, she adds.

Overall, charitable donations rose to a new high of $390.05 billion, a 2.7 percent increase from 2015 totals. But more interesting, according to the report authors, is that individual giving saw the largest increase. Individual giving increased 4 percent, foundation and corporation giving increased by 3.5 percent each and bequests declined by 9 percent.

Giving to all nine major categories of recipient organizations grew, making 2016 just the sixth time in the past 40 years that the report has been compiled that this has happened. The nine categories are religion; education; human services; giving to foundations; health; public-society benefit; arts, culture and humanities; international affairs; and environment and animals.

Seventy-two percent of the donations came from individuals.

“It is important that the individual story be told,” Osili says. “Everyone can donate money or time.” At the same time, giving remains relatively steady compared to the gross domestic product total at about 2.1 percent of GDP.

“A lot of charities have recovered from the recession and are thinking about growing more aggressively,” she adds. “Smaller charities are being to use some of the same marketing tools as larger organizations.”