Opinion: Why Americans are used to sharing

Photo: depositphotos.com

“The name of your favorite charitable foundation” - this question for password recovery on the site (instead of the mother’s maiden name or the name of your favorite toy as a child) was a bit puzzled. It turns out that not only millionaires are engaged in charity in the States ...

Over the past 60 years, Americans have increased their spending on charity times by 7, even with inflation. Interestingly, 80% of all philanthropy falls on private individuals, and the remaining 20% is on corporations and foundations. More than 45% of US residents perform volunteer work at least once a year.

Why do people need it?

1. Traditions of charity

The pre-Christmas season in the USA is also a fundraising season. After the celebration of Thanksgiving Day, Black Friday and Cyber ​​Monday, they entered Щtough tuesday Commercial organizations and public campaigns urge customers to donate to good deeds, promising to give as much revenue as they will collect donations.

Salvation Army volunteers stand on street corners and at store entrances. (Salvation Army) wearing red Santa hats with bells and loudly calling for a penny to be thrown in. And their “red teapots” (red kettles) have become a symbol of collecting donations.

Before Christmas, everyone buys gifts, which means they are ready to spend their hard-earned money. Why not share it with those who are desperately needed?

Over the past 60 years, Americans have 7 times increased their spending on charity

2. Upbringing in style sharing is caring

Phrase spell sharing is caring (“Sharing means taking care of”) is deposited in the subconscious. Remember how many stories you have heard about how people shared food or last money with the homeless, and then the benefactors were thanked for it?

You heard the mayor of a Ukrainian city changed clothes in homeless and lived on 3 street of the day to understand the needs of these people? But the mayor of Salt Lake City did so. Spouses Obama, for example, distribute food to the homeless in a shelter.

Yes, these are isolated cases. But it seems that they happen much more often than in Ukraine.

3. Convenience to make donations

You can donate cash, send a check by mail, use a credit card or PayPal. You can give your old clothes or furniture - of course, in fair condition. Or send hygiene products, medicines, children's things to the affected by floods, fires or storms regions. During disasters Americans demonstrate a special unity. For example, one colleague sent several bottles of water to Puerto Rico destroyed by the hurricane.

And recently, the function of "fundraising" introduced Facebook. With a few clicks, every user in the US can join in fundraising for a specific purpose or person: a sick child affected by Hurricane Harvey or fires in California.

And for the birthday of users, the social network itself suggests organizing a campaign and collecting donations for the institution chosen by the birthday people - instead of a birthday present. And they tell you: they say some friends of yours have done so, join you too.

4. Volunteering in fashion

And you can donate not money, but your time. One of my colleagues works twice a week in an animal shelter. Another volunteer friend on Saturdays in a large concert hall John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, helps to organize free performances.

Another one, a Ukrainian, uses a telephone “helpline” to help women who have become victims of domestic violence or find themselves in difficult situations. Moreover, she says that she felt the desire to help others after moving to the United States. And she simply turned to the local volunteer department, where she was told how she could help other people.

Photo: depositphotos.com

Being a volunteer in the States is an honor, something you can be proud of, like, for example, the status of an “honorary donor” in Soviet times. It's an honor to work full-time for a non-governmental, non-profit organization. You won’t earn crazy money there, but you can get experience, good recommendations, and a line on your resume. I also enjoy my work.

Last year in Chicago, I had an interview with John Gevko, secretary general of one of the world's largest public organizations Rotary International. When asked how he decided to head it, he replied that during his career as a lawyer, he earned enough money, so he decided to do something for humanity.

5. Fund verification

Since 2014, Ukrainians, including those in the diaspora, have actively donated to help the families of the dead and wounded, displaced people, and equip military personnel. It also appeared an insane amount of scams. Who will guarantee that a conditional woman with a box around her neck in the subway will not take the money donated "for the treatment of the child" into her pocket?

Americans, on the other hand, have a good system for checking charitable funds. There is a special list of trusted organizations approved by the IRS (Internal Revenue Service), i.e. the US tax system.

6. Opportunity to save on taxes

Despite the myth on the net, Americans can hardly win thousands of dollars on donations by writing them off taxes. However, if an American has an old car that he does not want or cannot sell, or clothes that are stale in the closet, they can be given to charitable foundations. For this give a check with the estimated value of the donation. With this amount you can reduce the amount of annual income from which the tax is paid.

The main reason, in my opinion, is that by doing good to others, first of all you please yourself. Psychologists have shown that people who donated have active parts of the brain that are responsible for physical enjoyment. Charity also reduces pressure. Can charity be called egoism? Even if so, it is, in my opinion, the most useful variety of it.

Read also on ForumDaily:

How did my attitude to charity change after moving to the USA

The US Tax System: Myths and Tips

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