Philanthropy in America & Europe

One of America’s major social assets, and central to the American attraction to the rest of the world, is its spirit of philanthropy arising from the voluntary association, which was first remarked on by the French Count Alexis de Tocqueville after his visit here in the early 1800’s in his famous book, Democracy in America.

An excerpt.

“Americans of all ages, all conditions, all minds constantly unite. Not only do they have commercial and industrial associations in which all take part, but they also have a thousand other kinds: religious, moral, grave, futile, very general and very particular, immense and very small; Americans use associations to give fetes, to found seminaries, to build inns, to raise churches, to distribute books, to send missionaries to the antipodes; in this manner they create hospitals, prisons, schools. Finally, if it is a question of bringing to light a truth or developing a sentiment with the support of a great example, they associate. Everywhere that, at the head of a new undertaking, you see the government in France and a great lord in England, count on it that you will perceive an association in the United States.

“I have since traveled through England, from which the Americans took some of their laws and many of their usages, and it appeared to me that there they were very far from making as constant and as skilled a use of association.

“It often happens that the English execute very great things in isolation, whereas there is scarcely an undertaking so small that Americans do not unite for it. It is evident that the former consider association as a powerful means of action; but the latter seem to see in it the sole means they have of acting.

“Thus the most democratic country on earth is found to be, above all, the one where men in our day have most perfected the art of pursuing the object of their common desires in common and have applied this new science to the most objects. Does this result from an accident or could it be that there in fact exists a necessary relation between associations and equality?” (Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America, 2000 translation by H. C. Mansfield and D. Winthrop. pp. 489-490)

This article from First Things also looks at the sprit of giving, in relation to Europe today.

An excerpt.

“Anyone traveling to Europe this summer will surely marvel at how different it is from the United States—and how Europeans have trouble understanding the difference. “Individualists,” they call Americans, but the facts show far more personal social concern in the United States.

“Here’s an example: In Europe, many leave philanthropy to the state. For Americans, the personal element—in giving, volunteering, and philanthropy—form an indispensable principle of democracy. According to this principle, people who do not want to depend on the state for all of their needs and wants must seek another source of funds. The best source—the most reliable source—derives from the tradition of reasoned giving. A free people must be able to organize themselves to finance sets of activities that are conducted independently from the state. A wise state supports this tendency by allowing givers to subtract their gifts from their reported income, thus lowering their income taxes by that amount.

“To establish these private institutions of independent social activity, individuals need the habit of association. They know that dependence on the state breeds the spirit of dependency. They wish to be independent and free. Therefore, they need to find a way to raise funds which they do not want to solicit from the state.”