Many decades ago, when I was in College, our class was asked to write an essay on the topic of What’s right with America. I wrote about how much I appreciated the generosity of most people I knew who donated time and money for a cause. I was impressed with all the non-profits from United Way to the LDS charities.
Today I was talking to a friend about how this pandemic has changed the world for better or for worse. I tend to be optimistic and hope it's changing people’s hearts for the better. In times of need, people in the United States are known for their charity. Americans continue to voluntarily give more to charity, help their neighbors more and give of their time more than any other people around the world. An article I saw on the paper said the following,”This is not a small matter. It shows that people in the U.S. still understand the key to happiness. And, not to brag or anything, but the most generous state in this generous nation is Utah.
That was reinforced this week when Wallethub.com, a personal finance website, published its latest list of the most charitable states. The Beehive State finished first overall, as well as first in the category of its volunteer rate, its percentage of donated income, the percentage of the population that donated time and the percentage who donated money. The least charitable state, if you’re curious, was Arizona. Apparently, proximity doesn’t always breed familiarity.
This isn’t shocking news. Utah has topped lists of charitable states for years. The religiousness of its residents plays a big role, but that isn’t the only factor.
Two years ago, the website move.org, which provides advice on moving-related issues, noted Utah has a massive amount of charities, “from environmental conservation efforts to humanitarian outreach.”
There is a relationship between charity and happiness.
More than a decade ago, Arthur Brooks, a prominent social scientist and writer, spoke at BYU about the relationship between giving and prosperity. People who give the most also tend to subsequently prosper the most, he said, noting that he found this relationship difficult to explain until he spoke with someone who studied the psychology of charitable giving.
“We’ve known for 30 years that people who give get happier as a result,” this man told him. Happy people are more productive people. They’re harder workers, which makes them more attractive to people looking to hire or to find business connections.
“Charity brings happiness, and happiness brings success,” Brooks said. “You simply can’t find any kind of service that won’t make you happier.”
Getting back to the country as a whole, Wallethub noted that Americans gave a combined $449 billion in 2019 and that 77 million people volunteered in some form during the year, providing the equivalent of $167 billion in service, and that 69% of cash donations came from individuals, not corporations.
The Philanthropyroundtable.org website said the vast majority of donations come from people of modest means, although wealthy people give, too.
And if you think bad economic times have hurt this characteristic, think again. Investopedia reports that donors are giving at a record pace during the pandemic.
If that isn’t a sign of exceptionalism or of people who see themselves as having a special role in human history, I don’t know what is.”
Yes, indeed. I can honestly say, I am thankful for the generosity of people in the United States.
Con amor,
Vero
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