WEALTH
Ultra-wealthy Palm Beach and Collier counties share the distinction of being home to some of the most generous philanthropists in Florida.
PHILANTHROPY
Charity Begins at HOME
Why donor-advised funds are the fastest growing CHARITABLE-GIVING vehicle in the U.S. By Judy Martel American generosity marked an all-time high in 2019, with donations to charity totaling nearly $450 billion, according to the latest Giving Report by the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis. But that impressive statistic doesn’t tell the whole story. In Florida, a different report reveals an uneven philanthropic landscape— one that in 2018 was mostly concentrated on a tale of two ultra-wealthy counties: Collier and Palm Beach. A study of individual giving from 2011 to 2018 52
by Florida Nonprofit Alliance, a statewide association of nonprofit organizations, shows that the bulk of individual charitable contributions originated in Southeast and Southwest Florida. Furthermore, the pool of statewide donors has been steadily shrinking from a cross section of Floridians to a smaller group of wealthier contributors. “I think it’s fair to expect the wealthy to give more,” says Leah McDermott, program manager of Florida Nonprofit Alliance. But disproportionate giving at the community level means
some areas of the state will benefit more than others. Individuals make up the lion’s share of charitable donors, and every contribution, however small, can still make an impact. “The money doesn’t mean less because the amount is less,” McDermott adds. “We hope we can inspire all income levels in all regions of the state to give.” Based on reported IRS data for charitable giving, in 2011 47 percent of the total donations in the state came from individuals with an adjusted gross income of $200,000 or more. By 2018, 75 percent of contributions came from upper-income donors, but the pool was significantly smaller, says McDermott. What’s more, donors in just four Florida counties—Palm Beach, Miami-Dade, Broward, and Collier— were responsible for 46 percent of all charitable contributions in the state in 2018. Two of those counties were particularly notable: Palm Beach
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