More Money, Lesss Charitable?

An interesting article:

Why the Rich Don't Give to Charity by Ken Stern - The Atlantic, April 2013
The wealthiest Americans donate 1.3 percent of their income; the poorest, 3.2 percent. What's up with that?

A couple of excerpts:

Wealth affects not only how much money is given but to whom it is given. The poor tend to give to religious organizations and social-service charities, while the wealthy prefer to support colleges and universities, arts organizations, and museums.

Underlying our charity system—and our tax code—is the premise that individuals will make better decisions regarding social investments than will our representative government. Other developed countries have a very different arrangement, with significantly higher individual tax rates and stronger social safety nets, and significantly lower charitable-contribution rates. We have always made a virtue of individual philanthropy, and Americans tend to see our large, independent charitable sector as crucial to our country’s public spirit. There is much to admire in our approach to charity, such as the social capital that is built by individual participation and volunteerism. But our charity system is also fundamentally regressive, and works in favor of the institutions of the elite. The pity is, most people still likely believe that, as Michael Bloomberg once said, “there’s a connection between being generous and being successful.” There is a connection, but probably not the one we have supposed.

The article is worth reading!

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2013/04/why-the-rich-dont-give/309254/