As Giving Tuesday approaches on Dec. 2, marking the third annual global effort to kick off the holiday giving season, people around the world are deciding how to donate their money and time to causes, charities and nonprofits.

According to a recent Harris Poll on charitable donations in the U.S., overall giving increased in 2013 — the first time since the 2008 recession. One in four Americans feel it's their personal responsibility to help make the world a better place by being actively involved in causes and issues, while an additional 17% believe it's important to volunteer and donate to charity.

When it comes to specific causes, 18% of Americans say they care most about youth and families, followed by animals (12%), medical research (12%) and education (11%). There are some discrepancies, however — one could argue education is an important facet of youth and families-related causes.

The following chart, created by statistics portal Statista, shows the top eight causes to which Americans say they're most likely to donate. You can read the entire report from Harris Interactive here.