Election Day is the everyday American’s answer to Income Tax Day. It allows us to express our priorities to the government in how they lead and spend resources. Exercising this responsibility by knowing your polling location, understanding your ballot, and casting your vote is both a privilege and a responsibility that not everyone in the world has.
The United States was the first modern constitutional republic, which means that we elect leaders to represent our interests as they align with the Constitution drafted centuries ago. Voting defines our local, state, and national society via the leaders we choose to represent us. While voting generally happens only twice a year, in the spring for the primaries and in November for the general election, we can “vote” for the type of society that we wish to see daily by engaging in philanthropy, volunteerism, or both. Just as our system of government was a pioneer influencing other nations, so too is our system for engaging our resources to resolve societal and humanitarian issues. America’s tradition of philanthropy is distinctive, and it captured the interest of French aristocrat Alexis de Tocqueville in 1831.
Alexis de Tocqueville and Gustave de Beaumont came to America to study the prison system, but they soon became captivated by another system: our civil society structure. In Democracy in America (Henry Reeve translation), Mr. de Tocqueville asserts, “Wherever, at the head of some new undertaking, you see the government in France, or a man of rank in England, in the United States you will be sure to find an association.” In other words, the expectation is that government will resolve society’s issues in France, while the nobility or privileged class resolves them in England. America is different in that the “rugged individualism” that expanded 13 colonies into 50 states chooses to gather collectively as citizens to create a third sector beyond government and commerce. That sector, known as the independent or third sector, is our own nonprofit sector, which provides services and solutions that neither government nor business supplies alone.
Nearly two hundred years later, that largely holds true today. Charitable support for the nonprofit sector in the US comes from individuals, foundations, and corporations, which are all versions of philanthropy, and individuals give the majority of it. While government assists, it is not the primary driver as it is in France, nor is it a defined expectation of the wealthy. All socio-economic classes in the United States give, whether that be to their church, a school, or another nonprofit with whom they have an affinity. Research on donor motivation has consistently found that tax deductibility via itemization, which is typically done by high earners, is not the primary motivation for giving.
Just as voting indicates who most closely aligns with your values to represent you in government, making a charitable gift is a way of making known the causes that are important to you and the way in which you would like to see them resolved. It can be done with your time and expertise by volunteering, and it can also be done by giving a financial amount to a cause important to you. Philanthropy occurs year-round and does not need a specifically designated day or two.
De Tocqueville observed that Americans served their own good by serving one another, giving “a portion of their time and property.” The heart of this idea is that Americans do not wait on the government or on the leadership designated by votes or wealth, but instead rely on one another to make the changes that they want to see. This is the essence of philanthropy: to care for your fellow person. Each gift of time, talent, or treasure should be honored by the nonprofit as a catalyst for moving your mission forward and creating the positive vision for humanity that you see in the world.
Because most of us see philanthropy and democracy in some form or fashion in our daily lives, it is easy to become complacent and think that one vote, one act of service, or one small monetary gift does not matter, but that would not be true. Many years ago, I had the privilege of going to East Berlin, when it was under Communist East German rule closely aligned with the Soviet Union. While I had been prepared to see something radically different than what I knew, it was still shocking to watch people fear that others would report them to the secret police, the Stasi, instead of helping them. It had a profound effect on how I viewed the world then and now. The police state created division instead of unity and fear instead of favors.
The only way to make a world that reflects your values and your hopes is to vote and help others by any means that you are able..
Fullanthropy Perspective:
Every gift a nonprofit receives is a vote of confidence. A donor who gives has chosen your mission over countless others, and that choice deserves the same respect we expect from the leaders we elect. Organizations honor that trust when they know where they stand, use resources well, and can show donors how their gifts move the mission forward.
Before your donors cast their next vote, take a few minutes to see how your organization measures up. The Impact Index™ is a complimentary series of yes or no questions across the 11 pillars of the CLAIM Your Legacy™ framework, and it produces a customized report that you can share with your stakeholders. by clicking Chart Your Impact™ today:.