Links

• National Charities
• Council of Foundations
• Guidestar database of information about charities.
• Internet Nonprofit Center
• Charitable Gifting from Errold Moody
• Give On-Line provides for secure on-line giving to charities.
• Give To Charity includes a huge list of charities taking donations online.
• Give Five - Volunteering
• IDEALIST volunteer opportunities.
• George Soros' Soros Foundation. (See also Soros in Who's Who.)
• Philanthropy Journal

Trivia: What percent of their income does the average American household give to charity? Answer

Articles

• Philanthropy for the Rest of Us from Kiplinger's (7/99)
• Living Usefully by Andrew Tobias from Worth (3/98)
• Fortunes's 40 Most Generous Americans (2/2/98)
• Goodwill Touring in Worth (11/97) is about volunteer vacation opportunities.
• You're on your own kid - The Disinheritors from Forbes (5/19/97).
• Which charities merit your money from Money.
• Gift Fund Makes You A Junior Philanthropist (12/1/96) by James K. Glassman of the Washington Post.
• An article about charity on the web RR from NY Times (12/2/96).
• Looking for Andrew Carnegie from Worth magazine (10/96). Includes estimated charitable contributions by Forbes list of Billionaires.
  (Note: Bill gates has said that as he gets older he plans to give away 90% of his money.)
• The True Meaning of Wealth - a story from Worth (1/97).

Background

There are several reasons to give to charity in addition to pure altruism. Charitable giving is encouraged by the United States government through tax benefits. Of particular relevance to investors is the fact that when appreciated securities are donated, the giver can normally write off the full value of the securities. Some empirical studies also suggest an additional reason to give to charity. Some researchers have theorized that charity may be good for you and may help you live longer. A ten year study of 2,700 people found that volunteers have significantly lower death rates than those who don't give volunteer service. In another interesting study, Harvard University psychologist David McClelland found that saliva taken from students after watching a film of mother Teresa doing her good works among sick and poor contained a significant increase in immunoglobulin A (an antibody that helps subdue respiratory infection) versus saliva taken before the film. The implication is that doing good may help you live longer. Source: The Book of You by Bernard Asbell, 1991.

Trivia answer: Most estimates are around 2%. According to the Gallop Organization, the average American household gave 2.2 percent of its income in 1995, up from 2.1 percent in 1993. (Source: Worth December/January 1997, page 58.)