Tuesday, December 27, 2005

Karen Woods on Charity on National Review Online

Karen Woods on Charity on National Review Online: "tis the season for giving, but let's do it wisely.




Congress, concerned that all those hurricane-relief dollars flowing south could pinch charitable donations elsewhere, fashioned the Katrina Emergency Tax Relief Act of 2005. The law generated unprecedented opportunity for nonprofit giving this year. That's good news for the 321,000 nonprofits with gross receipts over $25,000. But it's even better news for the majority of U. S. charities — 840,000 of them — with annual revenue of less than $25,000. The strategy is working: More than $3 billion in private donated relief from ordinary Americans has made this a record breaking year for giving.

You always hope that when Americans offer such an outpouring of generosity, that the money will be used effectively. Recent history isn't comforting. The Chronicle of Philanthropy analyzed the torrent of aid that followed the tsunamis last year in South Asia. The paper concluded that 'signs of progress remain rare as the calamity's one year anniversary approaches. Lack of coordination among charities and government agencies, as well as misguided gestures by well-intentioned donors, volunteers, and charities, are key reasons.'"

No comments: