Myths and Facts About Charitable Giving解读慈善捐赠的误区与真相

苏珊·奎尔蒂

Few people argue against the need for charitable donations. Yet when it comes to time to donate， it can be difficult to sort through the myths so you can be smart with your charitable contributions. Here is a look at six common myths surrounding charitable giving.

1. My charitable donations are always tax deductible.

Charitable contributions are often tax deductible， but not always. Before you donate money to a particular charity， you should find out if it is registered with the IRS for 501（c）（3） tax-exempt status. You can contact charitable organ-izations directly or check their status with the IRS either by calling or searching “IRS Publication 78” online.

Many people do not realize that if you receive any goods or services for your charitable contributions， only a portion of your gift will be tax deductible. This often applies if you buy tickets to a charitable event or receive an item like a t-shirt or coffee mug as thanks for your gift. To avoid problems at tax time， be sure to ask how much you can deduct for each of your charitable donations.

2. My charitable gifts are used only for program services （medical research， supplies， etc.）.

When you make charitable donations， a portion of your gift is likely to go to the charities operating expenses. The percentage that goes to actual program services will vary from one charity to the next. To find out exactly how your charitable contributions will be spent， you should research charitable organizations before giving.

As founder and executive director of Foundation Beyond Belief， an organization designed to support charitable donations， Dale McGowan is well versed in researching charities. Foundation Beyond Belief uses multiple resources to help in their research， but McGowan also recommends contacting charitable organizations directly.

“Charities that have been around for three or more years should have at least one full cycle of audits and annual reports available on their website，” McGowan says. He also advises looking at the whole picture. “High admin costs are not automatically a concern， but high individual salaries relative to the industry norm should be. Look for programs with a clear， stated awareness of the current best practices in their area.”

3. Gen X and Gen Y dont care about charity.

Younger generations are often thought to not care about charitable giving. Yet a recent study by Convio， Edge Research， and Sea Change Strategies， “The Next Generation of American Giving，” offers some interesting results about charitable contributions made by four different generations： Generation Y1 （born 1981–1991）， Generation X （born 1965–1980）， baby boomers （born 1946–1964） and “matures” （born 1945 or earlier）.

While the estimated percentage of giving may be higher among older generations （79% of matures and 67% of baby boomers）， 58% of Gen X and 56% of Gen Y do give to charities. Though their average donations are generally smaller， Gen Y and Gen X often have plans to increase their charitable contributions in the following year （31% and 24%， respectively）.

The study also reports that younger generations contribute in other ways than direct charitable donations. Gen Y and Gen X are involved with charities in many different ways， including fundraising， online promotion， and volunteering.

4. My charitable donations are not large enough to make a difference.

Charities rely on your support and appreciate donations of any amount. Yet concentrating your charitable contributions can be a more effective way to give. Matthew J. Viola， senior program analyst at Charity Navigator2， agrees that both large and small donations are appreciated by not-for-profit charities and recommends donors make a long-term commitment to support charities over time. Viola tells WebMD3， “Charity Navigator suggests that instead of donating $10 to 10 charities， a donor should focus on a couple of charities and give each one of those a larger donation （$50 to two charities）.”

No matter which charities you choose to support， small gifts from multiple donors add up， and they also provide charities with a broad base of support. This is particularly true when donors continue to give what they can afford year after year.

5. Causes with active fundraising campaigns need my charitable donations the most.

While there is nothing wrong with supporting well-known causes， like cancer or AIDS research， many lesser-known causes may have an even greater need for charitable contributions. This is especially true when your charitable gifts support medical research， as rare medical conditions and diseases often have less funding.

McGowan often prefers to find deserving charities that support these lesser-known medical needs. “Sometimes the popular vogue does not match the highest need for funding at a given moment，” he says. “Hundreds of millions are funneled into research areas that are already well enough funded， while other critical-need areas are overlooked.”

6. If I donate money to charities， I will be put on several mailing lists.

Before making charitable contributions， ask organizations about their donor privacy policies. Some charities sell your contact information to mailing lists， and others do not. Charitable organizations may also offer a way for you to “opt-out” of receiving additional mailings.

To keep from being added to mailing lists， look for charities that offer written privacy policies and read the terms. Many charities are happy to protect their donors private information.

很少有人会质疑慈善捐赠的必要性。然而，真到了捐赠的时候，人们很难厘清真假从而合理行善。下面，我们来了解一下对慈善的六大常见误解。

误区一：慈善捐赠可以全额免税

一般而言，慈善捐赠可以减免税款，但也有例外情况。在向某个慈善机构捐款之前，要了解该机构是否向美国国家税务局申请了第501（c）（3）条免税待遇，既可以直接与慈善组织联系，也可以致电国税局核实，或在网上搜索《国税局第78号文件》。

很多人不知道，如果进行慈善捐赠获得了任何实物或服务作为回报，则能够免税的捐赠只有其中一部分。如果你购买了某场慈善活动的门票，或因为捐款而获赠T恤衫或咖啡杯等物品，上述规则往往试用。为了避免在纳税时遇到麻烦，一定要问清每一笔捐款可以免税的額度。

误区二：所有捐赠只用到项目服务上（包括医学研究、医疗用品等）

在捐款之后，慈善机构可能提取其中部分善款用于管理运营。每个慈善机构用于实际公益项目服务的善款比例各不相同。要想确切了解捐款的实际使用情况，就必须在捐赠前对慈善组织作一番调查研究。

戴尔·麦高恩是“超越信仰基金会”的创始人和执行董事，他的机构旨在为慈善捐赠提供专业支持，而他本人对研究慈善机构也十分在行。超越信仰基金会利用多种资源来开展研究，但麦高恩也建议捐赠人与慈善机构直接取得联系。

“成立三年或三年以上的慈善机构在其官网上应该有至少一个完整周期的审计报告和年度报告。”麦高恩说。另外，他建议大家着眼全局。“管理成本高昂本身并无大碍，但相对于行业标准，如果机构中的个人工资过高，那就不合理了。要找明确表示其很清楚业内现行最佳做法的项目。”

误区三：X世代和Y世代不热心公益

人们往往以为，年轻一代对慈善捐助漠不关心。然而，Convio、Edge Research和 Sea Change Strategies这三家机构最近联合进行了名为“美国慈善事业下一代”的研究，调查了四个世代的慈善捐赠行为，得出的结论耐人寻味。这四个世代分别是Y世代（指1981年至1991年出生的人）、X世代（指1965年至1980年出生的人）、婴儿潮一代（指1946年至1964年出生的人）以及“成熟的一代”（指1945年或1945年以前出生的一代人）。

这份研究估计，老一辈人的捐赠比例可能较高（成熟的一代中占79%，婴儿潮一代则有67%），但其实，58%的X世代和56%的Y世代也在献出自己的爱心。尽管这两个年轻世代的平均捐款额总体上较低，但他们往往计划在来年增加捐款数目（包括31%的Y世代和24%的X世代）。

该研究还指出，年轻世代除了直接捐赠之外，还会寻求其他途径参与慈善。Y世代和X世代会参与各种形式的慈善活动，包括筹款、在线推广和志愿服务等。

误区四：个人捐款是微不足道的

慈善需要支持，捐多捐少都值得感激，但集中捐款是一种更加高效的捐赠方式。马修·J.维奥拉是“慈善导航”网的高级项目分析师，他也认为，无论捐款多少，非营利性组织都一样感激。他建议捐赠者持之以恒地支持慈善机构。维奥拉告诉WebMD：“与其给10家机构各捐10元，不如选定两三家各多捐一点（比如给两家慈善机构各捐50美元）。”

无论支持的是哪一种慈善事业，来自很多捐赠者的点滴爱心会积少成多，也使慈善机构获得了广泛的支持。捐助者年复一年量力而行，则尤其彰显这一点。

误区五：大力筹款的事业最需要资助

向知名的慈善事业捐献当然是合情合理的，比如癌症或艾滋病研究。然而，许多不太知名的项目更需要大家的慷慨解囊，尤其是医学研究募捐，因为对罕见疾病的研究往往经费较少。

麦高恩更愿意选择的常常是为那些鲜少人知的医疗需求提供支持的慈善机构。“有时，大众捐赠集中在热点领域，最需要资金的领域在特定时刻反而得不到捐助。”他说，“数以亿计的资金流入业已资金雄厚的研究领域，而其他亟待资助的领域却无人问津。”

误区六：捐款后会收到群发的营销邮件

在捐款前要了解慈善机构的隐私政策。有的机构会出售捐赠者的个人联系信息，有的则不会这么做。一些机构允许捐赠人选择“不接受”多余邮件。

为防止被列入邮寄名单，就要去寻找有书面隐私政策的慈善机构，并阅读相关条款。有很多慈善机构是乐于保护捐赠人私人信息的。

（译者为“《英语世界》杯”翻译大赛获奖者;单位：上海工程技术大学）