Opinion: why Americans are used to sharing
"The name of your favorite charity" - such a question to recover the password on the site (instead of the mother’s maiden name or the name of a favorite toy in childhood) a little puzzled. It turns out that charities in the States are not limited to millionaires…
Over the past 60 years, Americans have increased their spending on charity sevenfold, even in the face of inflation. Interestingly, 80% of all philanthropy is accounted for by individuals, the remaining 20% - by corporations and foundations. More than 45% of US residents volunteer at least once a year.
Why people?
1. Charity traditions
traditions The pre-Christmas season in the United States is also a fundraising season. After the celebration of Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Generous Tuesday was introduced. Business organizations and public campaigns are urging customers to donate to good causes, promising to donate as much as they donate.
At the corner of the streets, at the entrance to the shops, are Salvation Army volunteers in red Santa hats with bells and loudly calling for a penny. And their "red kettles" have become a symbol of collecting donations.
Before Christmas, everyone buys gifts, so they are ready to spend hard-earned money. Then why not share with those who desperately need it?
Over the past 60 years, Americans have increased their spending on charity 7
times
. Remember how many stories you heard about people sharing food or the last money with the homeless and then thanking the benefactors for it?
Have you heard that the mayor of a Ukrainian city changed into a homeless person and lived on the street for 3 days to understand the needs of these people? But the mayor of Salt Lake City did so. The Obama couple, for example, distribute food to the homeless at the shelter.
Yes, these are isolated cases. But they seem to happen much more often than in Ukraine.
3. Convenience of making donations You can donate
cash, send a check by mail, use a credit card or PayPal. You can give away your old clothes or furniture - of course, in decent condition. Or send hygiene products, medicines, children’s belongings to the regions affected by floods, fires or storms. During natural disasters, Americans show a special unity. For example, a colleague sent several bottles of water to Hurricane Puerto Rico.
And recently, the "fundraising" function was introduced by Facebook. Every user in the United States can join in a few clicks to raise money for a specific purpose or person: a sick child affected by Hurricane Harvey or the California fires.
And for the birthday of users, the social network itself offers to organize a campaign and collect donations for the institution chosen by the birthday party - instead of a birthday present. And they suggest: they say that several of your friends have already done so, join us.
4. Volunteering in fashion
And you can donate not money, but your time. One of my colleagues works at an animal shelter twice a week. Another acquaintance on Saturdays volunteers at the large John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to help organize free performances.
Another Ukrainian woman on the hotline helps women who have been victims of domestic violence or are in difficulty. Moreover, she says that she felt the desire to help others after moving to the United States. And she just went to the local volunteer department, where she was told how she could help other people.
Being a volunteer in the United States is an honor, and you can be proud of that, as, for example, the status of an "honorary donor" in Soviet times. It is honorable to work full time in a non-governmental non-profit organization. You will not earn crazy money there, but you can get experience, good recommendations, a line in the resume. Also pleasure from the work.
Last year in Chicago I had an interviewwith John Gevko, Secretary General of one of the world’s largest non-governmental organizations, Rotary International. When asked how he decided to head it, he said that he had earned enough money during his career as a lawyer, so he decided to do something for humanity.
5. Verification of funds
Since 2014, Ukrainians, including in the diaspora, have actively donated to help the families of the dead and wounded, migrants, to equip servicemen. An insane number of fraudsters appeared here. Who will guarantee that a conditional woman with a box around her neck in the subway will not take in her pocket the money donated "for the treatment of a child"?
Americans have a good system of checking charitable foundations. There is a special list of trusted organizations approved by the IRS (Internal Revenue Service), ie the US tax system.
6. The ability to save on taxes
Despite the myth circulated online, Americans are unlikely to win thousands of dollars in donations by writing them off. However, if an American has an old car that he does not want or cannot sell, or clothes that are in the closet, they can be donated to charity. For this they give a check with the estimated value of the donation. This amount can be reduced by the amount of annual income from which the tax is paid.
The main reason, in my opinion, is that by doing good to others, you make yourself happy first of all. Psychologists have proven that people who have made a donation have active parts of the brain that are responsible for physical pleasure. And charity lowers blood pressure. Can charity then be called selfishness? Even if so, this is, in my opinion, the most useful version of it.
The opinions expressed in the "My America" section convey the views of the authors themselves and do not reflect the position of the "Voice of America" .
Published with permission of the author and publication
Author Maria Prus
Journalist of the Ukrainian Voice of America Service
Over the past 60 years, Americans have increased their spending on charity sevenfold, even in the face of inflation. Interestingly, 80% of all philanthropy is accounted for by individuals, the remaining 20% - by corporations and foundations. More than 45% of US residents volunteer at least once a year.
Why people?
1. Charity traditions
traditions The pre-Christmas season in the United States is also a fundraising season. After the celebration of Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Generous Tuesday was introduced. Business organizations and public campaigns are urging customers to donate to good causes, promising to donate as much as they donate.
At the corner of the streets, at the entrance to the shops, are Salvation Army volunteers in red Santa hats with bells and loudly calling for a penny. And their "red kettles" have become a symbol of collecting donations. Before Christmas, everyone buys gifts, so they are ready to spend hard-earned money. Then why not share with those who desperately need it?
Over the past 60 years, Americans have increased their spending on charity 7
times
. Remember how many stories you heard about people sharing food or the last money with the homeless and then thanking the benefactors for it?
Have you heard that the mayor of a Ukrainian city changed into a homeless person and lived on the street for 3 days to understand the needs of these people? But the mayor of Salt Lake City did so. The Obama couple, for example, distribute food to the homeless at the shelter. Yes, these are isolated cases. But they seem to happen much more often than in Ukraine.
3. Convenience of making donations You can donate
cash, send a check by mail, use a credit card or PayPal. You can give away your old clothes or furniture - of course, in decent condition. Or send hygiene products, medicines, children’s belongings to the regions affected by floods, fires or storms. During natural disasters, Americans show a special unity. For example, a colleague sent several bottles of water to Hurricane Puerto Rico.
And recently, the "fundraising" function was introduced by Facebook. Every user in the United States can join in a few clicks to raise money for a specific purpose or person: a sick child affected by Hurricane Harvey or the California fires.
And for the birthday of users, the social network itself offers to organize a campaign and collect donations for the institution chosen by the birthday party - instead of a birthday present. And they suggest: they say that several of your friends have already done so, join us.
4. Volunteering in fashion
And you can donate not money, but your time. One of my colleagues works at an animal shelter twice a week. Another acquaintance on Saturdays volunteers at the large John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to help organize free performances.
Another Ukrainian woman on the hotline helps women who have been victims of domestic violence or are in difficulty. Moreover, she says that she felt the desire to help others after moving to the United States. And she just went to the local volunteer department, where she was told how she could help other people.
Being a volunteer in the United States is an honor, and you can be proud of that, as, for example, the status of an "honorary donor" in Soviet times. It is honorable to work full time in a non-governmental non-profit organization. You will not earn crazy money there, but you can get experience, good recommendations, a line in the resume. Also pleasure from the work. Last year in Chicago I had an interviewwith John Gevko, Secretary General of one of the world’s largest non-governmental organizations, Rotary International. When asked how he decided to head it, he said that he had earned enough money during his career as a lawyer, so he decided to do something for humanity.
5. Verification of funds
Since 2014, Ukrainians, including in the diaspora, have actively donated to help the families of the dead and wounded, migrants, to equip servicemen. An insane number of fraudsters appeared here. Who will guarantee that a conditional woman with a box around her neck in the subway will not take in her pocket the money donated "for the treatment of a child"?
Americans have a good system of checking charitable foundations. There is a special list of trusted organizations approved by the IRS (Internal Revenue Service), ie the US tax system.
6. The ability to save on taxes
Despite the myth circulated online, Americans are unlikely to win thousands of dollars in donations by writing them off. However, if an American has an old car that he does not want or cannot sell, or clothes that are in the closet, they can be donated to charity. For this they give a check with the estimated value of the donation. This amount can be reduced by the amount of annual income from which the tax is paid.
The main reason, in my opinion, is that by doing good to others, you make yourself happy first of all. Psychologists have proven that people who have made a donation have active parts of the brain that are responsible for physical pleasure. And charity lowers blood pressure. Can charity then be called selfishness? Even if so, this is, in my opinion, the most useful version of it.
The opinions expressed in the "My America" section convey the views of the authors themselves and do not reflect the position of the "Voice of America" .
Published with permission of the author and publication
Author Maria Prus
Journalist of the Ukrainian Voice of America Service