Philanthropy is one of the many things that make America so great.

I love saying that to people, not only because it is true, but also because they light up when they are exposed to their own magnificence by an immigrant.    Deservedly so, let me explain if you don’t already know.

Take a wild guess as to how much money was given to charity, in America, in 2008 as the Country was nose diving into a recession.  Clearly, I think it was impressive.  So what did you guess? 

Most people say around $50 million, so let’s go with that for now.  So the next question is where did that money come from?  Was it from the government? The corporations?  Foundations?

Reflect on your answers now.  The answer according to Giving USA is $307 billion was given in 2008 in America as the world was tumbling into a financial meltdown.  It was 2.2% of the US economy that year and unmatched worldwide – we are unique in this.  People say to me, that, of course it was an unusually high giving year because the common man was hurting, and so the corporations were extra, extra generous.

Let’s consider that notion.  Corporations are designed to make profits for shareholders and perhaps to create employment – there is nothing wrong with that; God bless them, but they are not designed for philanthropy: corporations represent about 6% of total charitable giving in America.  Secondly, it was not really an unusual year, historically America gives around 2% of GDP to charity every year, good economies, bad economies, it doesn’t matter, in America 2% of GDP goes to charity every year and no other Country on Earth comes close to that, and given that we are still the largest economy on the planet, no other country comes close to the over $300 billion we give to charity each of the recent years.

The second question is intentionally asked in a misleading way – who gave the money?  The same group that was responsible for the “dear John” letter written to England some 230 years ago: we the people gave that money.  Specifically some 76% of all charitable contributions are made by individual people every year and another 8% is given in people estate plans when they die.  So think about it: God bless Bill Gates and Warren Buffet, but they are only a drop in the bucket; okay a large drop, but a drop in the bucket none-the-less.

Also when you thin k about it, it amounts to over $1,000 per man, woman and child given to charity in America every year.  Given that, I invite you to consider how many people are in your community, however you choose to define that, and then consider how much is being given to charity from that community i.e. number of people times $1,000.  How much of that leaves the community and how much stays in the community?