TEN Things You Didn't Know ahout Charity

[Big Don]

From Culture 11 Blog
Excerpt:
10 Things You Didn’t Know about Charities

By Ericka Andersen, November 23, 2008
1. Twenty-eight percent of Americans over the age of 16 volunteer regularly. (National Center for Charitable Statistics)

2. The number of non-profits in the U.S. has doubled over the past five years and the number of family foundations has increased 60 percent in the past six years. (National Philanthropic Trust)

3. Educational institutions received the second largest percentage of charitable contributions. (Giving USA)

4. Currently, 850,455 public charities and 104,276 private foundations are registered with the Internal Revenue Services. (National Center for Charitable Statistics)

5. Those people who donate offline and those who make a contribution online give statistically the same amount. (Center on Philanthropy)

6. Households with an income of $200,000 or more are responsible for about 2/3 of all household charity in America though they make up only 3.1 percent of the nation. (Bank of America)
End Excerpt
#1 Really? That seems awfully high. That is basically 3 out of 10 and I don't buy it
#4 Holy Crap that is a lot of charities
#6 Damn those greedy rich bastards!

 

[girlbug2]

#1 Really? That seems awfully high. That is basically 3 out of 10 and I don't buy it

Keep in mind that volunteering takes many forms. Off the top of my head I can think of the many people that volunteer at various positions in my church such as the Meals Ministry for people who are sick and do not have to be members of the church.

Then a lot of volunteering doesn't qualify as charity but is volunteering; PTA members at the school, AYSO soccer coaches, poll workers, political campaigners. Still counts as some of the 3 out of 10.

 

[Big Don]

Keep in mind that volunteering takes many forms. Off the top of my head I can think of the many people that volunteer at various positions in my church such as the Meals Ministry for people who are sick and do not have to be members of the church.

Then a lot of volunteering doesn't qualify as charity but is volunteering; PTA members at the school, AYSO soccer coaches, poll workers, political campaigners. Still counts as some of the 3 out of 10.

Good point.

 

[MA-Caver]

From Culture 11 Blog
Excerpt:
10 Things You Didn’t Know about Charities
6. Households with an income of $200,000 or more are responsible for about 2/3 of all household charity in America though they make up only 3.1 percent of the nation. (Bank of America)

#6 Damn those greedy rich bastards!

I feel that you're misunderstanding this particular statistic... I've done "door to door" donation collections for a non-profit group and we would "target" these "affluent" upper middle class neighborhoods because in our experience they DO contribute more than the average middle class and the upper class folks... surprisingly even lower class neighborhoods are good places to solicit because they KNOW what it means to be poor and want to help out.
Anyway those families whose houses (stereotypically) reflect the incomes of 200K plus tend to give rather generously. Thus they are responsible for 2/3rds of the contributions made to charity organizations.

Unless your curse was meant as sarcasm...

 

[elder999]

Excerpt:
1. Twenty-eight percent of Americans over the age of 16 volunteer regularly. (National Center for Charitable Statistics)

#1 Really? That seems awfully high. That is basically 3 out of 10 and I don't buy it

The wife takes flowers to the local nursing home each month for birthdays-1 hour, once a month. This is "volunteering regularly."

6. Households with an income of $200,000 or more are responsible for about 2/3 of all household charity in America though they make up only 3.1 percent of the nation. (Bank of America)
End Excerpt

#6 Damn those greedy rich bastards!

Well, there are a few pretty good tax benefits to making charitable contributions.Any halfway decent accountant is going to advise someone in that income bracket to do so, and probably even point out some ways to do so.

Additionally, there are only so many things one can spend money on for oneself.......:lol:

 

[Frostbite]

#1 Really? That seems awfully high. That is basically 3 out of 10 and I don't buy it

I'm with you on this. I don't know anyone who volunteers with any regularity, which might say something about my friends and family but I don't know any co-workers who do either.

 

[punisher73]

I would say that the 3 out of 10 might be about right.

I know for my step-daughter they are REQUIRED now to have a certain number of hours working for a charity organization to graduate.

I think when we here "charity" we automatically think of a big corp. that does it like Red Cross or Salvation Army. I bet alot of the "3" are people that do work through their kid's school or through their local church. I would also define "regular" as well. I "regularly" go to the dentist two times a year.

 

[Big Don]

The wife takes flowers to the local nursing home each month for birthdays-1 hour, once a month. This is "volunteering regularly."

Good point

Well, there are a few pretty good tax benefits to making charitable contributions.Any halfway decent accountant is going to advise someone in that income bracket to do so, and probably even point out some ways to do so.

Very true

Additionally, there are only so many things one can spend money on for oneself.......:lol:

You don't really believe that do you?

 

[elder999]

You don't really believe that do you?

I know it for a fact....:lol:

A wise man does not accumulate for himself. The more he uses for others, the more he has himself. The more he gives to others, the more he possesses of his own. The way of heaven is to benefit others and not to injure.

-Lao-Tzu

Joy is not in things; it is in us.

-Richard Wagner

He who is not contented with what he has, would not be contented with what he would like to have.

-Socrates

Surplus wealth is a sacred trust which its possessor is bound to administer in his lifetime for the good of the community.

-Andrew Carnegie

And he said to them, "Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions."

-Jesus quoted in Luke 12:15

 

[shesulsa]

Many advanced learning programs (especially in public schools) issue a quota of volunteer hours and charitable projects in order to pass and our local high schools here also have community service and outreach program requirements for graduation.

Add in the kids in scouting and other youth guidance programs, church programs and corporate-sponsored service programs and I'd say the number is about correct.

How about this one for ya Don?

Did you know that if every person who were able to donate ANYTHING - the equivalent of about 1 hour of their time once per month (whether that be in goods, services, labor, materials, time or money) that the world's needs would be completely fulfilled?

Did you also know that the most valuable donation item is ....
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... drumroll, please ...
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... time.

Your time.

 

[Nomad]

#1 Really? That seems awfully high. That is basically 3 out of 10 and I don't buy it

Does volunteer teaching at the dojo count?

 

[Big Don]

Does volunteer teaching at the dojo count?

It should

 

[Kacey]

As others have said, volunteering takes many forms. I give blood every 2 months, which takes about an hour, including travel time. That is also "volunteering regularly".

 

[grydth]

Bravo to everyone who donates time/money/services.

As to the rich allegedly being more virtuous, however, I would only refer you to the biblical parable of the Widow's Mite....among others. :angel:

 

[elder999]

As to the rich allegedly being more virtuous, however, I would only refer you to the biblical parable of the Widow's Mite....among others. :angel:

Don't think it means for a moment that the rich are "more virtuous."

The rich have more, so, generally, they give more, because they can.

 

[MA-Caver]

Don't think it means for a moment that the rich are "more virtuous."

The rich have more, so, generally, they give more, because they can.

Of course they can... but what makes them virtuous is the level of their desire to give. It's not even how much they give but how much they WANT to. The amount will usually, usually, reflect how much they earnestly wanted to give to whatever/whomever they give to.

 

[Gordon Nore]

I know for my step-daughter they are REQUIRED now to have a certain number of hours working for a charity organization to graduate.

I think when we here "charity" we automatically think of a big corp. that does it like Red Cross or Salvation Army. I bet alot of the "3" are people that do work through their kid's school or through their local church. I would also define "regular" as well. I "regularly" go to the dentist two times a year.

Very good points. My son had to complete forty hours of community service during HS to qualify for graduation. It's not really volunteering in once -- it's working for free; it probably gets counted towards volunteer hours. Would be interesting to know if court-ordered community service or workfare assignments are being calculated in.

My wife and I have had a variety of volunteer projects over the years: I've done writing and editing in the past for small non-profits, taught karate for free in community centres, went with my son's class to a skating rink every week for years. My wife's volunteer work with animal rescue is pretty much a full time chore.

Following my lay-off I found volunteer work a way staying connected and making a contribution. Now that I work in public schools, I put in my volunteer time after school, lunches and weekends, for clubs, activities, fundraisers.

Small addendum. Some years back I did a little writing work for a food bank. Each time I visited this agency, it was clear to me that the regular corps of volunteers -- as opposed politicians and others who turn up for Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter -- are those who depend upon the foodbank for sustenance. I believe they saw those hours as means of payment.

 

[MA-Caver]

This article might want to make one think about those billion and millionaires who seemingly don't give to charity...

http://finance.yahoo.com/banking-budgeting/article/106219/The-10-Top-American-GiversThe 10 Top American Givers

by Aili McConnon and Lawrence Delevingne


Thursday, November 27, 2008provided by Business Week

​

Warren Buffett Many of America's ultra-rich continued to give big donations to charity in 2008, despite the worst financial crisis in decades. In the past year, seven philanthropists gave north of $200 million and nine gave more than $100 million to causes ranging from wilderness preservation to fighting malaria. Warren Buffett and Bill Gates remain far and away the biggest givers overall, but two of 12 newcomers to the list pledged to give more than $1 billion away: William Barron Hilton, co-chairman of the Hilton hotel chain who pledged late last year to give away 97% of his wealth -- some $1.7 billion -- to his family's humanitarian foundation and Peter G. Peterson, co-founder of the investment firm Blackstone Group, who gave $1 billion this year to establish a foundation that promotes fiscal responsibility. Read their stories -- and those of the 48 other philanthropists on BusinessWeek's list -- here.
1. Warren Buffett
Berkshire Hathaway CEO
2004-08 Giving* $40,655 million (that's 40 Billion plus! folks)

Buffett's $31 billion commitment to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, announced in June 2006, resonated throughout the philanthropic community. The giving is aimed at funding education and global health initiatives. This year the commitment to the Gates Foundation still resonates, inspiring other donors with a new model of philanthropy. Buffett, the world's second-richest man, also earmarked billions for the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, and the NoVo Foundation -- independent family foundations that support causes ranging from reproductive health to worldwide conservation.

(a list of the top 50)
Click here to see the full list.
*Based on public records and interviews with donors
Data: BusinessWeek, The Chronicle of Philanthropy and the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University