ECONOMICS REPORT - Giving to the Needy, and Making Sure the

ECONOMICS REPORT - Giving to the Needy¹, and Making Sure the Money Is Well-Spent
By Mario Ritter

Broadcast: Friday, December 23, 2005

I'm Steve Ember with the VOA Special English Economics Report.

Americans gave almost two hundred fifty thousand million dollars to charity in two thousand four. It was a five percent increase to a new record for giving in the United States. The estimates are from the Giving USA Foundation. The group says about seventy to eighty percent of Americans give yearly to at least one charity.

 
Richard Hamilton of the Detroit Pistons² basketball team helps buy holiday gifts for 9-year-old Shakima Johnson, displaced from her Mississippi home by Hurricane Katrina. At right is her mother, Wykima.
Charities are non-profit organizations. They might raise money to provide services, or to support the social good.

Americans can reduce their taxes by giving to charities. The federal tax agency, the Internal Revenue Service, recognizes donations to official charities. But many people give to charities even without saving on the taxes they owe.

Individuals provide about seventy-five percent of all donations. The largest share of charitable giving goes to religious groups. The Giving USA Foundation says more than thirty-five percent of all giving in two thousand four went to religious organizations. Some Americans give a percentage of their pay to religious groups.

Schools and other education-related organizations were second on the list. They received about thirteen percent of all charitable giving in two thousand four.

Many people want to know how their gifts are being spent. They want to be sure the money is not wasted or misused³. Not long ago, in the Washington, D.C., area, the local leader of a national charity stole nearly half a million dollars from the group.

There are organizations that examine how charities spend the money they receive. These groups include Charity Navigator and the American Institute of Philanthropy. They also include the Wise Giving Alliance of the Better Business Bureau. Such groups provide reports or ratings that measure how effectively charities spend money.

Charity Navigator says seventy percent of the groups it studies use at least three-fourths of their money to support their causes. Charities that spend too much on administrative⁴ or operating costs are not considered to be carrying out their purpose.

Charity-rating groups get information from a tax document called Form Nine-Ninety. Charities are not taxed, but they must report their financial information each year to the Internal Revenue Service.

This VOA Special English Economics Report was written by Mario Ritter.  I'm Steve Ember.

1 needy   

adj.贫穷的，贫困的，生活艰苦的

参考例句：

• Although he was poor,he was quite generous to his needy friends.他虽穷，但对贫苦的朋友很慷慨。
• They awarded scholarships to needy students.他们给贫苦学生颁发奖学金。

2 pistons   

活塞( piston的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Some pistons have seating rings of metal or leather. 有些活塞上有金属或皮革的密封环。
• A pump uses valves and pistons. 泵使用阀和活塞。

3 misused   

v.使用…不当( misuse的过去式和过去分词 )；把…派作不正当的用途；虐待；滥用

参考例句：

• He misused his dog shamefully. 他可耻地虐待自己的狗。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He had grossly misused his power. 他严重滥用职权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 administrative   

adj.行政的，管理的

参考例句：

• The administrative burden must be lifted from local government.必须解除地方政府的行政负担。
• He regarded all these administrative details as beneath his notice.他认为行政管理上的这些琐事都不值一顾。