March 9, 2000
'Begging' Squelches the Charitable Impulse
To the Editor:
Scholars who study charitable giving say that the "philanthropic impulse" of Americans surpasses that of other affluent countries. We donate, on average, 1.2 percent of our gross income each year -- a percentage much greater than that of France (0.15 percent) or Germany (0.30 percent), for example.
In 1997, philanthropic contributions from all sources (individuals, foundations, corporations, and bequests) totaled $143.5-billion. Each
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