Comstock's magazine 1019 - October 2019 | Page 121

Capital Region Cares
Caring for our
C ommunity
ho supports nonprofits? There are hundreds of nonprofit organizations serving a wide range
of needs in Northern California, and all of them can use a helping hand. Many of you already
support these organizations. Some of you may be considering contributing for the first time.
The most recent biennial survey of charitable giving from the Lilly Family of School of Philanthropy,
underwritten by Bank of America, gives some insight into the company you are keeping.
The survey of 1,600 people found that most donated to an average of seven nonprofits a year.
The average household donated about $2,500 per year while wealthier households donated about
$29,000 per year.
The study also notes that the donations with the most transformative value were not cash, but
other types of in-kind donations. Many people surveyed donate their expertise and time, including
sitting on boards of directors to help guide nonprofits through business decisions. But there is a
generational twist. Millennials in the survey preferred shorter stints on advisory groups to address
specific issues rather than serving longer terms on governing bodies.
Nearly half of those surveyed volunteered their time to the charities they support, up to an
average of 142 hours a year. Not surprising, those who are retired invested more time, up to 228
hours a year.
Natural disasters, such as the recent wildfires in Northern California or the hurricanes that have
decimated Puerto Rico and the southeastern corner of the country, always generate relief funds,
given the media attention they receive and the widespread need they create. But the survey found
that disaster relief funds do not take away from other charitable giving, they instead add to it.
Those of you who are not sure where to invest your charitable giving are not alone — 44 percent
of those surveyed considered themselves “novices” when it came to giving. Only 4 percent consid-
ered themselves “experts” in choosing the charities they support.
The survey results provide a guide for making that decision. The biggest reason people support
charities is personal. In other words, the charities reflect what the donors care about the most,
whether it’s providing food and shelter for the homeless, counseling people in crisis, helping chil-
dren, saving abandoned animals or protecting the environment.
Money is important. So is time and expertise. Most of all, it just takes caring about a cause and
supporting it as best you can.
October
March 2019
2017 | comstocksmag.com
121