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THE STATE OF THE SEASON
Where Massachusetts ranks in its charitable offerings
By CARA BAYLES
del.ico.us
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"The kettles are running behind last year," said Tom Langdon of the Massachusetts Salvation Army, referring to the infamous red copper kettles manned by volunteers who relentlessly peal their bells. He estimated the kettles are earning 8 to 9 percent less than this time last year.
Langdon believes the lackluster economy fuels a double hit. "You know what retail merchants are saying: The buying public is being more frugal. The same is true of charitable donations. And the other edge of that sword is, because of the rising cost for heat, the folks who need the help of the Salvation Army have increased in number."
Are Bostonians, such expert eye-contact avoiders, giving less than others when they pass those kettles?
There has been some debate on the subject for a while. The Catalogue for Philanthropy -- a nonprofit that sends a free informational packet on charities to 80,000 affluent Massachusetts families annually -- has in the past presented its research in a "Generosity Index." The index based on 2002 data ranked Massachusetts as 49th in the country when comparing average income with average giving.
Critics decried the figures for not accounting for cost of living in the state. A June study out of Boston College's Center on Wealth and Philanthropy found that working- and middle-class families did not contribute as much of their income, probably due to budgetary restrictions. (It also found that New Englanders gave more to secular causes than the rest of the country ... sorry, Salvation Army).
So this year, the Catalogue for Philanthropy did a 10-year study, looking only at families earning $200,000 or more. Marty Cohn, a spokesperson for the Catalogue, said people with this income contributed 55 percent of the state's giving in 2005, as compared to 35 percent in 1995. "But in that income bracket, Massachusetts ranked ninth in average gross income for those making over $200,000," said Cohn. "So we looked at their average itemized charitable contributions, which ranked 27th. If their giving matched their income, it would mean an additional $10,153 per person."
And this year is a good one in which to give. Stephanie Nichols, of the Greater Boston Food Bank, says the demand on their organization is high. "We've seen anywhere from a 5- to a 30-percent increase in need in our various areas of service in the past year." Covering shelters and soup kitchens from the borders of New Hampshire to Rhode Island, and from Cape Cod to the Worcester county line, the Food Bank has rather generous parameters for "greater Boston." It feeds more than 320,000 people annually in Eastern Massachusetts.
Food prices have increased four percent this year, though, Nichols points out, that doesn't necessarily reflect how the prices of some products have skyrocketed: milk has risen 20 percent, and eggs are up 44 percent. That can put a lot of stress on family budgets. The Crittenton Women's Union found that a single parent with two children in Boston needs to earn $58,100 to meet basic needs. A minimum-wage worker in Massachusetts earns $15,600 a year.
The Farm Bill's Federal Commodities Program, which is renewed every five years, has been frozen at $140 million nationwide annually, but as agricultural prices rise, the US Department of Agriculture can't purchase as much food per dollar.
In the past, the Massachusetts Emergency Food Program accounted for 40 percent of the Food Bank's donations. But with the budget crunch, legislators cut their budget by $1 million for fiscal year 2008, Nichols said.
"We're already down 27 percent as compared to last year," she said. "We used to be cushioned by that state funding, but that was cut in July, and we're already starting to feel it."
The Salvation Army also feels the pinch. Langdon recently got a distress call from the Attleboro Corps, saying no one was taking ornaments from the angel tree (the ornaments say the name and age of a child who needs a Christmas gift).
"I know Toys for Tots were also hit very hard this year," Langdon added. The Attleboro angel tree received a rescue contribution from Stephens and Michaels Assoc., of New Hampshire. FedEx donated $15,000 after seeing an article in the Herald, and Anton's Cleaners collected and cleaned 5,000 coats for the Coats for Kids program.
Nichols said the Boston Food Bank relies on such generosity for 44 percent of their donations. "We have over 600 food donors from church organizations and neighborhood drives, to major corporations," she said.
Cohn can't comment on this year's donations, since he uses IRS numbers which are two years behind. "Generally, we've found there is a relationship between income and giving, but no matter what, people are giving," he said. "We think that Massachusetts, like the country, is doing well with charitable donations. But we shouldn't rest on our laurels. We can always do better."
