Donors + Passion = Potent Accomplishment
According to Philanthropy Roundtable, philanthropy is a huge part of what makes America America. They rightly state in a recent post that philanthropy’s importance stretches far beyond economics – case in point – their studies show that each year, seven out of ten Americans donate to at least one charitable cause.
Contributions are from two to twenty times higher in the U.S. than in other countries of comparable wealth and modernity.
Here is where their study gets interesting:
Start with the brute numbers: The nonprofit sector now employs 11 percent of the U.S. workforce. It will contribute around 6 percent of GDP in 2015 (up from 3 percent in 1960). And this doesn’t take into account volunteering—the equivalent of an additional 5 to 10 million full-time employees (depending on how you count), offering labor worth hundreds of billions of dollars per year.
And philanthropy’s importance stretches far beyond economics: Each year, seven out of ten Americans donate to at least one charitable cause. Contributions are from two to twenty times higher in the U.S. than in other countries of comparable wealth and modernity.
Part of the American Culture: Private giving is a deeply ingrained part of our culture—a font of social creativity and crucial source of new solutions to national problems. Voluntary efforts to repair social weaknesses, enrich our culture, and strengthen American community life are and always have been a hallmark of our country.
What a wonderful testimony about the United States of America and its citizens. We are not only the greatest country to ever exist we are deeply ingrained with the mindset and the heart to help others. I’m glad to be an American and to also be involved in the nonprofit sector.
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