Help When it's Needed Most

What I figure is that if ultra-rich people are allowed to be ultra-rich — by some supernatural power or the government or whatever other force might judge such things — the least they could do is give a boatload of money to those in need.

That's why I'm heartened to hear that, according to a survey by Barclays Wealth, wealthy donors in the United States and the U.K. continue to give heartily despite the woeful state of the global economy. The Foundation Center reports that these people "continue to see philanthropy as a necessary expense and would sooner give up some of their comforts than cut back on their charitable giving."

I’m glad that there are wealthy people out there who prioritize others' survival over their comforts. When returns are strong they can probably have both, but in times like this it is nice that they choose charity.

"Tomorrow's Philanthropist," the report based on a survey of 500 high-net-worth people on both sides of the pond, reveals that 77 percent of those interviewed had no plans of cutting back their giving in response to the economy. The best news of all is that some young donors, which the report terms "contrarian givers," are responding to the hard times by upping their giving by 3 to 4 percent.

The more people need, the more these young donors give. Now that's good news. Bravo.

Photo courtesy of stock.xchang