When it comes to charitable giving, Americans are incredibly generous. According to the Giving USA Foundation, individuals gave almost $224 billion to charity in 2006 (the latest year for which figures are available). In a press release, an organizational spokesperson noted, "About 65 percent of households with incomes lower than $100,000 give to charity. That is higher than the percentage who vote or read a Sunday newspaper." Nonprofits on the Rise Charitable giving is definitely on the rise, as is the number of nonprofit organizations and foundations. There are over 1 million nonprofit charities and foundations in the U.S., not including the half million other types of nonprofits. Due in large part to the Internet, there's little doubt that this number will continue to rise. Because the Web has a broad reach and allows potential donors to find organizations that meet their social giving goals, e-giving is at an all-time high. In addition, e-philanthropy enables donors to see the potential for launching their own nonprofit organizations and work toward funding the causes they believe in. Gaining Momentum This democratization of social giving and philanthropic movements was given a huge boost by Oprah Winfrey's series, "The Big Give." The premise of the show was that the contestants were faced with a weekly challenge in which they had to either "give big or go home." Sometimes they were given seed money, sometimes they were provided with wads of cash to give away, and sometimes they started with nothing. Early in the series, it became obvious that it is possible to leverage a small amount of seed money in order to secure much larger donations and make an enormous difference. The Next Level Oprah's show inspired thousands of people from around the country to launch their own "Big Give" challenges. Although Warren Buffet has the means to pledge tens of billions of dollars to charity, ordinary people with ordinary incomes have discovered that they, too, can make a difference. Along the way, many have decided to create a nonprofit organization to facilitate their social giving goals. Although the idea of launching your own nonprofit organization may seem daunting, it doesn't have to be. In fact, there are online organizations comprised of seasoned professionals with years of nonprofit experience who can help you set up a nonprofit that will express your individuality and soul. Whether you want a tiny foundation that will provide Christmas presents to the needy once a year, or a large, national nonprofit, these organizations can help. When you rely on experienced professionals, it can take as little as a week to set up a nonprofit. They can help you establish your tax-exempt status, create a webpage for e-giving, market your events, conduct public relations and media campaigns, and even create and maintain your programs, administration, and Internet presence. When you create a nonprofit organization, you take giving to the next level. You can leverage your resources to truly make a difference in your community, around the country, or across the globe.
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