Charity giving high in '01
| • | Cutbacks in grants to nonprofits no solution |
By Frank Cho
Advertiser Staff Writer
The tradition of giving in Hawai'i remained strong last year with 92 percent of households donating to charity and the average contribution rising to $1,123.
"Hawai'i's people are indeed generous," said Kelvin Taketa, the president and chief executive officer of the Hawai'i Community Foundation, which released the Hawai'i Giving Study 2002 yesterday.
Taketa added: "We should not take this good news for granted."
In 1998, when the last survey was conducted, 88 percent of households contributed and the average given was $1,016.
The survey conducted by SMS Research found that while Sept. 11 did not have an significant effect on how much people gave, it influenced how money was distributed. Nonprofits related to Sept. 11, such as the American Red Cross, Fireman's Fund and the Aloha United Way, received the most contributions last year.
Still, the fear that giving to Mainland charities would sap money going to local organizations did not materialize. More than two out of every three people who donated money to charities last year gave nearly all of the money to local charities.
Thirty-one cents of every dollar donated went to human services, unchanged from three years ago. Health-based charities received 18 cents of every dollar, up from just 7 cents. Faith-based charities saw their share of donations slip from 41 cents of each dollar to 33 cents.
Reach Frank Cho at 525-8088 or fcho@honoluluadvertiser.com.
