Charitable Giving in Tight Times

A Granite State resident, who would prefer to just go by the name Bob, takes his charitable giving seriously.

TAPE: over the last four years we’ve averaged about $60,000 a year.

Bob sold his business a few years back.

And since then, he says he’s spread his money around.

TAPE: some nationally, some internationally, some for direct services, some for advocacy work, some for institutions....political too? That doesn’t count the political.

Bob says he’s not sure how much money he’s going to end up giving this year- he writes most of his checks in December.

But he’s committed to increasing his contributions, despite- personally- earning less.

And since the economy has tanked- he sees a need to give differently than he has in the past.

TAPE: there are decisions to be made in terms of what is an investment vs. what is spent. As far as what is spent, that is food, medical care that will be delivered immediately.

Like Bob, Will and Jeannie Dismukes of Newbury have decided to give more than last year.

The two airline pilots are doing pretty good right now.

But while they’ve given to a couple of larger charities, they also wound up doing something a lot more personal.

Their friend and neighbor Roger is a master cabinet maker.

And when they asked Roger if he could work on a cabinet in their kitchen, Roger let them know how grateful he was.

TAPE: he was very frank, he says, I have very little business right now.

While Roger was working on their kitchen cabinets, the couple put together a wish list of all kinds of projects they had wanted done since they moved in.

TAPE: the motivation was let’s throw this to our friend Roger, because he needs the work and we need somebody to do the work...and we didn’t know exactly what on that list he would want to do.

Pretty much all of them.

The Dismukes ended up employing Roger for about two months over the last year.

Like a lot of people in New Hampshire and across the country Kathleen Koson and Shawn McKinney don’t plan on increasing their charitable contributions this year.

Money’s tight for the 30-something couple.

Kathleen did just get a nice raise, but Shawn- a salesman who works on commission, has taken a huge pay cut.

The two are aware tight times have left many in need.

So the two have decided to make charitable gifts in friend’s names instead of conventional Christmas gifts.

TAPE: some friends of our have favorite national or international charities....we will give to those organizations b/c we know they are near and dear to the hearts of some of our close friends. But for people who we don’t necessarily know....I think we will look to either give a just give.org card, or we will pick something very local.

New Hampshire Charitable Foundation President Lew Feldstein applauds the people who are giving more in this environment.

But at the end of the day, Feldstein says charitable giving can only go so far.

3:04 even though we do more through voluntary effort than almost any state in the country, it’s still marginal. It’s small. When government has to cut, like they’ve had to, there’s no way you can ask charity to make it up. You talk to people in food pantries, and shelters, they’ve had to lay people off, they have less money available and the demand is swamping them. There is no way charity can close that gap.

Kathleen Koson understands she’s not going to save the world by sponsoring a kitten at a local SPCA, or a flock of chicks through Heifer International.

But she says she believes the act of giving has a lasting impression.

TAPE: when I think back on it, I remember very, very few presents that I got....I am 31 now, but when I was probably like 6, my grandmother adopted a humpback whale for me....we talked about the whale for years. I still think about the whale...I still have this feeling its so special to me.

And she figures, if she can pass that kind of feeling on and help an organization or a cause she believes in, so much the better.

For NHPR News, I’m DG.