and is up 5.2%. So we all don't suck completely (it just seems like it according to the cable news networks).
Charitable Giving passes $400B mark for first time
- Thread starter Obliviax
- Start date
People taking advantage of tax deductions while they still exist. We'll see what happens in 2018.
Until I clicked on the link I thought that you had news that Barbour had raised enough money to pay for the Master Plan projects.
Those airplanes for megachurch preachers don't buy themselves!!!
You also had two major natural disasters that solicited a lot of funds.
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anon_1eeb2b426hv3y
Guest
Yeah, but the tax code change is a bigger and more immediate change. While natural disasters are on the rise (and storms are getting stronger and we’re overpopulating areas that shouldn’t be developed—hurricane zones, forest fire zones, flood zones, active volcanos, etc.), and good people contribute, I’d follow the bigger money on this one.
Funny, many were concerned the new tax plan would kill charitable giving. They were wrong again. When people keep more of their money, they also have more to donate.
to be fair, I believe these figures are for 2017 so it is before the new tax laws and deductibility took hold.
Gotcha. I'm going to guess the figures will hold with the economy humming as it is.
It sucks partially. A lot of this unfortunately is not really charities, it's political campaign spending dressed up as "charities." There's like 1000 billionaires aggressively buying Congress because of Citizens United, and that probably accounts for the increase.
The old definition of charity used to be benefit the needy or benefit the community or benefit the general public. The new definition of charity is "benefits me."
We are rapidly rebuilding the English aristocracy right here in America. The process is happening so fast, it's going to be unrecognizable in 15 or 20 years. Pretty soon it will be time for Washington to start bestowing hereditary titles again. $50 million should make one an earl, don't you think? Fifteen years, we could replace the Senate with a House of Lords.
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So true. Not to poke at a raw nerve for some but look at TSM. Even though it did some good things for kids, its dirty little secret was being a slush fund for certain politicians and for being a place where connections could be made. The shredder truck made sure those connections never saw the light of day.
Charitable giving of course is good, and important, but I've been around people working nonprofits and soliciting contributions and applying for grants. Nobody gives money altruistically any more. Everybody wants something tangible in return.
Like Steven Schwartzmann, Wall Street investment banker worth about $11 billion. Offered to donate $25 million (which to him is like a hundred bucks) to Abington High School, his alma mater, but only if they named the school Schwartzman High School and changed the entire curriculum to something he thought would be better. Demanded that the school buy laptops for every student, stuff like that. Donations always have strings attached but this was steel cables.
I understand...but I can understand Schwartzmann too (I don't know who he is). If you don't agree how you grant is going to be spent, why give it? For me, I became frustrated with how some of my charities were spending the money...so I quit giving it to them and spent it myself on projects I thought were worthwhile. For example, I maintain the lawns of two neighbors that cannot physically or financially. I adopted a girl. I give directly to people in need through my local church (money and goods go directly to the person in need). Its a shame, really. There are tons of good charities but I can't tell the difference anymore until its too late.
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anon_1eeb2b426hv3y
Guest
I subscribe to the belief that there’s an increasing and strengthening pattern to storms and natural disasters (except volcano eruptions-those don’t seem to be on the increase with climate change), and that we’re feeling them more by moving closer. But I’m not sure and I’ll defer to the scientists.
Geez, I’m putting my foot in my mouth like crazy this week!
I think there's more coverage - which leads our minds to believe there are more and stronger storms. When I think of a strong storm (wind storm), I think of only one - Andrew. So from my perspective, storms have gotten weaker since 1992.
A couple of years ago during a storm, TWC was set up at my beach. I walked up to check it out and they were strategically positioned to make the backdrop look ominous, while it couldn't have been further from the truth. I walked back home and grilled a steak on my patio.
Do you think it had (2017) something to do with the new tax law and many people not projected to itemize in 2018????
Yes....
Yes....
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It has by a large measure. I haven’t seen numbers for this year but for decades the people of the United States have given more in foreign aide privately than any country in the world gives AS foreign aide. That is over and above what our government gives away.
One of the major problems we have in this country is that only half of the nation actually gives, while the other half spends an inordinate amount of time trying to rationalize why the “other guy” isn’t really being charitable.
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