There is a parade of ‘days’ in the US that starts on the last Thursday in November: Thanksgiving, Black Friday (which is also, ironically, Buy Nothing Day!), Cyber Monday, and of course, Christmas Day. A few years ago the US added another ‘day’ – Giving Tuesday, a national day designed to extend generosity beyond family and friends. In this spirit, the local paper published a six page spread promoting opportunities to give to local charities which provide toys and food to needy families – ‘Helping hands’, ‘Toys for Tots’, the ‘Maryland Food Bank’, ‘Tri-state Toys’, the YWCA, among others.
Americans are indeed a giving people – they donate more to charity than any other nation. It is those with the least who give the most, however. Americans at the base of the income pyramid—those in the bottom 20 percent—donate an average of 3.2 percent of their income, and low-income employed Americans donate 4.5 per cent. The wealthiest Americans, however, who have earnings in the top 20 percent, contribute only 1.3 percent of their income to charity.
As well, groups serving the poor, like Food Banks, are unlikely to receive any gifts at all from the wealthy. In 2013, all of the top 50 individual donations went to support colleges and universities, arts organizations, and museums. In other words, the wealthy give to institutions that most benefit the wealthy. Charities that benefit the 8 percent of seniors who experience food insecurity, the 15.8 million children who live in food-insecure households, and the adult poor, depend most on those on the lowest incomes.
In most other developed nations the government provides the main safety net for the poor, incapacitated, and elderly. Government aid to the poor is anathema to many here, including the poor themselves. Indeed, in the USA, only 60% of those eligible for food stamps or school meals take them.
America is a country that believes that individuals make better decisions for their welfare than government, and in many cases, I agree. But there are factors, including social support, that are not served well by reliance on individuals.
Individual philanthropy is admirable, and America is an example to rest of the world. But we can’t rely on philanthropy to fill all the bellies.
Nayano in America 