Working to Give: Philanthropies & Philanthropic Work

In a fascinating new study, Chattanoogans came out as extremely generous. The study of tax filings released Monday showed that Chattanoogans on average donated at least 50% more of their disposable income to charities and religious groups than did the typical American.

Those in Chattanooga think there are easy explanations, but it’s still a bit of a mystery why these numbers are what they are. As Pete Cooper, president of the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga said, “Chattanooga is a generous town and continues with a culture of giving from people of all income levels. Among the wealthy, there has long been a philosophy of charitable giving which helped establish some of the state’s biggest foundations here decades ago. But among low- and middle-income families there is also a commitment to giving because I think our citizens recognize the needs around them and they understand where their gifts go and help out.”

As Eva Dillard, president of the Chattanooga United Way said, “Obviously, during the recession, we had some struggles but Chattanooga has always been known for its philanthropy. Even people that don’t have a lot of money here are willing to give what they can to help others who have less or are in some need. We’ve found as we grow the engagement of people with our work, our giving goes up.”

In general, the highest share of income is donated in Utah and in the South. The least charitable states were New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont. The Chronicle report, that looked at IRS returns, found that Americans who earn $200,000 or more actually reduced their giving by 4.6% from 2006 to 2012. Those earning less than $100,000, however, increased their charitable giving by 4.5% in the same period.

If you love ping pong, then this just might be the event for you. Los Angeles Dodgers All-Star pitcher Clayton Kershaw and his wife Ellen will be hosting the 2nd annual Ping Pong 4 Purpose celebrity charity even on Thursday at Dodger Stadium. Donations will benefit the Kershaw’s Challenge, a non-profit that works with at-risk communities in Los Angeles, Dallas and Zambia.

The event includes a single elimination ping pong tournament with a silent auction and live entertainment by DJ Skee. The emcee will be Chris Harrison from ABC’s “Bachelor/Bachelorette” and Uberpong is the table tennis sponsor and the tournament manager for the event.

As Clayton Kershaw said, “We are excited to host our 2^nd Annual Ping Pong 4 Purpose event on the field at Dodger Stadium. Ellen and I are thrilled this event provides a way to combine our passion for making a difference in the lives of children with an activity that has become such a favorite of the Dodgers clubhouse. We’re looking forward to a great night for a great cause.”

Clayton was awarded the 2012 Roberto Clemente Award for his tireless charity work. He is the youngest recipient ever of the award which honors the player who best represents the game of baseball through positive contributions both on and off the field.

In Sioux City, one local fisherman is doing amazing things for those around him. Just this year he has managed to donate $300,000 to charities from his profits. James Haworth, the owner of the Tackle Industries, has given money to children’s causes and veterans outreach programs.

He originally started the company to add to their material possessions and to make money. But, when his daughter, Julia, who is now 8, was born with craniosynostosis, a birth defect in which a baby’s skull fuses before the brain is fully formed, he started to see things differently.

Seeing how many children were suffering, he decided that they needed to start to help others. So, in 2005 he started producing handmade fishing lures in his garage. And Tackle Industries was born.

He has given money to Gillette, the Ronald McDonald House, Take a Vet Fishing and Operation Muskie. Now, his mail-order company has 1200 products, where it started with 50.

“The more we give away now, it seems the more we get,” he said.

On May 9th, Earvin “Magic” Johnson and his wife, Cookie, received the first-ever Roger Staubach Award in the packed room at the Omni Dallas Hotel. They were part of the Emmitt Smith Celebrity Invitational presented by SoftLayer, which managed, by the end of the weekend, to raise $1 million for the Pat & Emmitt Smith Charities.

These charities funds unique educational opportunities and enrichment programs for underserved children. The Staubach Award, named for the Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach, was established “to recognize individuals who have brought together the world of sports/entertainment and business to make an extraordinary impact on the lives of children and youth.” It will be given out to recipients who exemplify personal, professional and philanthropic excellence.

While accepting the sterling trophy created to Tiffany & Co., Magic Johnson said that, as he neared the end of his NBA career, he looked for a sports figure to emulate. As he said, “I decided that’s who I want to be like – Roger Staubach. I’ve been chasing this man for years like a big defensive lineman.”

As Pat Smith said, “I can’t think of a better way to kick off our fifth year than with a new award named after our good friend and hero, Roger Staubach. And it’s such a thrill to give the first award to Cookie and Magic, an incredible power couple who have set the bar very high and been a true inspiration to Emmitt and me.”