What are the Pros and Cons of Charity in America?

Answer 1

I think the biggest argument in favor of charity is that it gives people the choice of what they want to support. If the government did everything, then they might support things with which you disagree. However, if you choose what to do with your dollars, you can choose groups that focus on the issues that you think are most important.

I also think that charities are very well run for very little money. It constantly amazes me that people will work for very little money to make the world a better place. You can look up salaries for charities online at www.guidestar.org. Go to the 990 for any organization, and you'll see what they pay the staff. Outside of the big charities, a lot of places don't pay their staff even $50,000 a year (the minimum salary being reported for the top five positions).

I'd also say that, with $250 billion going to charity in America, it means that individuals have more power in influencing what happens in America in helping people. Foundations only give about 11% of the money, and corporations only give 5%, so the smart charities rely on individuals. That means that a person who only contributes a little or who volunteers can have a great say in what the charity does, which I think can be terrific.