With today being Giving Tuesday kicking of the holiday giving season, nearly a third of all annual giving taking place in December, the personal-finance website WalletHub announced this week. Celebrated on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving, it also follows the widely recognized shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday as a chance to give back.
The latest World Giving Index shows that Americans are some of the most generous people in the world, ranking second out of 140 countries in 2015. That year, U.S. donors gave more than $373 billion to charity, and 71 percent of that figure came directly from individuals, according to the National Philanthropic Trust.
But Americans don’t just reach in their pockets to help the needy. They also contribute their time — and plenty of it. Between 2014 and 2015, nearly 63 million people volunteered with an organization at least once, serving a median of 52 hours per year.
What about Kansas? The Sunflower State came in at 14th most generous among the fifty states.
Here’s a look at the numbers:
• 11th – volunteer rate
• 13th – percent of donated income
• ninth – percent of population who claim to have donated time
• 19th – percent of population collecting/distributing food
• 19th – number of volunteer hours per capita
• 26th – number of charities per capita
Closer to home, the Golden Belt Community Foundation and other organizations are taking part. The foundation and other organizations promote Giving Tuesday as a day and opportunity to help build the efforts in Barton, Pawnee, Rush and Stafford counties.
Foundation board and staff will host giving sites across the area to accept donations with specific locations and times listed on the foundation’s website: www.goldenbeltcf.org. Gifts may be made online, in-person or mailed to the foundation during the month of November to qualify for Giving Tuesday at 1307 Williams St.; P.O. Box 1911; Great Bend, KS 67530. Make checks payable to GBCF.
We have always prided ourselves on taking care of our own. This is yet another opportunity for us to step up to the plate and help others at this joyful time of year.
For questions, call Golden Belt Community Foundation, 620-792-3000, email gbcf@goldenbeltcf.org.
Dale Hogg
