Top 10 American Cities & Their Giving

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By JohnPosted In: ChildFund International

SmartAsset has a fascinating study looking at who gives the most in America, and how they give. It offers great insights into the patterns. They looked at 170 metro areas and used metrics which includes charitable contributions as a percentage of income, percentage of tax return and other factors. Here is a summary of some of their findings.

*Utah is the state to beat. They have three metro areas that led the study and that are the highest givers based on the criteria they evaluated.

*Most people who make charitable donations aren’t claiming it on their tax forms.

*The top locations, by order of giving, include

  1. Provo-Orem, Utah
  2. Ogden-Clearfield, Utah
  3. Salt Lake City, Utah
  4. Charlottesville, Virginia
  5. Charlotte-Concord-Gasonia NC-SC
  6. Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD
  7. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
  8. Richmond, VA
  9. Tulsa, OK
  10. Durham-Chapel Hill, NC

See the whole study and learn more about what makes these places stand out.

Family-Owned Businesses Making Philanthropic Commitments

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By JohnPosted In: Charity Activity, Charity in Business, FamilyTagged: , , , ,

Family-owned companies are including philanthropy as a fundamental part of their business model, dedicating significant funds to worthy charities and causes.

Evan Metropoulos and Warren Buffett
Evan Metropoulos, left, with Warren Buffett. Metropoulos & Co. has signed Buffett’s Giving Pledge.

Evan Metropoulos, of Metropoulos & Co., says his family has translated its core values and principles to active charitable giving. The company became a signatory to The Giving Pledge, an initiative of billionaires Warren Buffett and Bill and Melinda Gates, pledging more than half of the company’s wealth to philanthropy. According to Mr. Metropoulos, the company takes pride in its giving and its role in modeling good corporate practices.

“It has proven to be good for business, too. We are recruiting and keeping fantastic employees who are committed to what we stand for and give to. Our clients and the wider community want to be a part of generating positive change in the world.”

Evan Metropoulos, Metropoulos & Co.
van Metropoulos at the Clinton Foundation
Evan Metropoulos, left, with members of the Clinton family at a Clinton Foundation Millennium Network event.

Helping Veterans Every Step of the Way

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By JohnPosted In: ChildFund International

Here is a heart-warming story. Semper Fi and America’s Fund are helping American war veterans with financial assistance and emotional support. One example is that of Retired Army Sgt. Stefan Leroy who said that representatives from the organization were in his hospital room at Walter Reed Military Medical Center before his family was when he stepped on an IED in Afghanistan in 2012.

Stefan’s case manager helped him to find outlets for his motivation, including getting into cycling and racing. She encouraged him along the way and told him that he was capable. Septer Fi and America’s Fund even provided Leroy with an adaptive hand cycle and a rower that he could use to work on his strength.

He has since completely a few marathons including the Marine Corp marathon, the Boston Marathon and a triathlon in Santa Cruz, California.

There are organizations, like this one, making a huge difference in the individual lives of our veterans. And they certainly deserve the support.