Fort Dodge Community Foundation and UNITED WAY
HOW PHILANTHROPY HAS IMPACTED FORT DODGE Giving is part of America’s character, culture,
Today, this generosity of spirit continues. In
and economy. It is an engine for ingenuity in
2016 alone, Americans donated some $390
the United States, and it is part of our nation’s
billion to charitable causes, nearly three quar-
social contract.
ters of which came not from foundations or corporations, but from individuals hailing
In the 1830s, the French aristocrat Alexis
from all walks of life. Indeed, philanthropy
de Tocqueville toured the United States and
is the backbone of America’s nonprofit field,
coined the concept of American “excep-
which is comprised of some 1.5 million or-
tionalism” in his classic book Democracy in
ganizations that account for 10 percent of all
America, in which he marveled that Amer-
private sector employment nationwide. It is
icans “willingly sacrifice a portion of their
clear that government alone could not sup-
time and property” to improve the welfare of
port the great array of services the nonprof-
their fellow citizens. Since that time, Amer-
it sector provides. Neither government nor
ican philanthropy has witnessed many ex-
philanthropy can sustain our nation’s non-
traordinary acts of generosity.
profit institutions alone—they must work together to help keep our democracy dynamic and thriving.
24 • FORT DODGE BUSINESS CONNECTION • April 2023 22
RANDY KUHLMAN
C.E.O FORT DODGE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION AND UNITED WAY