Author: By Emily Shartin, Globe Staff Correspondent Date: 11/03/2002 Page: 1 Section: Globe SouthGLOBE SOUTH 2
For Jim O'Sullivan, it is "the satisfaction of a thank you" that is one of the greatest rewards of giving to his son's alma mater, Xaverian Brothers High School in Westwood.
Jim and his wife, Lucille, were so happy with the education their son Stephen received at Xaverian that in 1999 they established a scholarship fund at the school. The contribution was made in memory of Jim's parents, who instilled in their son a desire to give back to society, O'Sullivan said. It is a philosophy that has stayed with him, and one that, as a member of Xaverian's board of trustees, he has tried to encourage in others.
"People can be multimillionaires," O'Sullivan said, "but what are they giving back to the community?"
Inspired by similar questions, the Dover-based Catalogue for Philanthropy has compiled information on charitable giving in each community in Massachusetts. The so-called "generosity index" looks at how many taxpayers itemize charitable contributions on their tax returns, and compares average incomes with the size of contributions. The index provides a detailed breakdown of charitable giving by ZIP code, along with community-wide averages.
Among the communities south of Boston, Cohasset ranked highest on the index with an average contribution of $6,683, which represents about 3.2 percent of the average income among donors in that town. Statewide, the average contribution is about $2,500, which is about 2.2 percent of the average income among donors.
Although the generosity index is based on 1997 data from the Internal Revenue Service, George McCully, president of the Catalogue for Philanthropy, said the information offers a baseline look at the levels of giving in each community. The hope is to encourage residents in wealthier communities to give more, McCully said, and to promote the idea that charitable giving can be an indication of a community's civic principles.
"Philanthropy is about values," he said. "It's about quality of life."
To recognize and promote philanthropy, Acting Governor Jane Swift has proclaimed Nov. 29 - the day after Thanksgiving and touted as the busiest shopping day of the year - Giving Massachusetts Day.
According to Siobhan O'Riordan, director of Giving New England, Americans stand to inherit $10 trillion to $40 trillion as the country's oldest generations pass away. Giving New England, a program of the Boston-based organization Associated Grant Makers, does not promote specific types of giving, but hopes to direct some of that wealth toward the nonprofit sector, O'Riordan said. She describes philanthropy as "social glue" that improves the quality of life at large.
"We're all better off when everyone has a meal and everyone has an education," she said.
Leaders of local nonprofit organizations say there is room for contributions of all sizes. Paula Peterson, executive director of the Children's Museum in Easton, said only about 20 percent of the museum's $250,000 budget comes from charitable donations. But without that money, she added, the museum would not be able to cover its costs.
"Whether it's 50 percent or 15 percent, it's still critical," Peterson said. "You need it to balance your budget."
Peterson said she fears that the weakened state of the economy may make it difficult for area residents to contribute as much as they have in the past.
Mary Beth Brown, executive director of the Duxbury Art Association, said that although the association does not rely heavily on donations, it too has had to seek grants and other sources of funding to make up for a noticed drop in donations.
"It's a matter of really shaking the trees," Brown said.
"We just keep being grateful for what we're getting," added Cynthia Hargrove, executive director of South Shore Habitat for Humanity.
Several area organizations report high levels of giving to their fund-raising campaigns. This year, the Bridgewater State College Foundation raised $1.5 million to benefit the school's endowment, an all-time high for the 13-year-old foundation, said Jane Bradford, the college's assistant vice president for development.
In Scituate, the First Trinitarian Church was recently able to replace its steeple and begin undertaking other improvements thanks to state grant money and a capital campaign that raised $440,000 from the church's 400 members, according to Peter Rhoten, a past chairman of the church's board of trustees. Although Rhoten described the church's annual pledge drive as "a struggle," he said the capital campaign reached its target within three months.
"I think it worked because of the focus," Rhoten said.
Jordan Hospital in Plymouth is undertaking a capital campaign to raise money for a large-scale building project, the first phase of which is expected to cost $40 million, said Cynthia Outhouse, the hospital's vice president for philanthropy. Over the past few years, the hospital has devoted more attention to charitable giving, she said, noting that the hospital was founded 100 years ago through a $20,000 donation from Eben Jordan Jr., a partner in the Jordan Marsh department store. The hospital hopes to develop a partnership with the community that extends beyond any one fund-raising initiative, Outhouse added.
"It's not about a campaign that has a beginning and an end," she said.
Emily Shartin can be reached by e-mail at eshartin@globe.com.