Our Maine Street's Aroostook Issue 8 : Spring 2011 | Page 33

consistently to larger causes such as libraries, hospitals,
scholarships/education, and community centers – those
institutions that are necessary for communities to survive.
“Philanthropists” usually donate substantial sums to any
or all of these causes. They make it an integral part of
their lives. Philanthropy is the tool that drives economic
development.

Does this definition agree with you? Or would
you like to extend it to include other forms of giving in
Aroostook? Certainly, there is no lack of generosity in that
arena.
At any given time, one can hear
of significant monies raised to
help a family that’s been burned
out of their house. Or, if a person
has been found to be seriously ill,
it is not unusual for community
members to band together to hold
an event to help fund medical
costs, often raising sums in the
thousands of dollars. This is no
easy feat for a small community in
Aroostook County, but somehow
it happens. If there is a needy
child, it is not difficult to find
someone to support the provision
of warm clothes and food. Many
people contribute to their local
animal rescue facilities, civic
organizations, and education
projects. When the need is there,
so are the people.

It is said that the babyboomers will transfer the greatest
wealth of any generation – an
estimate that amounts to anywhere A. R. Gould
from 88 trillion to 128 trillion
dollars.

According to the American Heritage Dictionary,
the aforementioned examples truly illustrate an “effort or
inclination to increase the well-being of humankind, as by
charitable aid or donations,” don’t you think? Don’t they
show “the love of humankind in general?”

article entitled, Charitable Giving Benefits Giver As Much
as Receiver, published on December 23, 2006, by Ryan
Messmore, “the practice of giving taps into something deep
in the nature of the person. Giving our time and money
to others tends to have significant implications for our
individual well-being and that of our local communities
and nation. Charitable giving is associated with higher
levels of health and happiness, increased prosperity and
strong community organizations. “ In other words, giving
makes one feel on top of the world.

In the same article, it is stated
that, “Researcher Arthur Brooks
examines the benefits of giving
in his new book, “Who Really
Cares: The Surprising Truth about
Compassionate Conservatism.”
In terms of physical health and
happiness, Brooks notes that
people who give more charitably
are 43 percent more likely to say
they are “very happy” than nongivers, while non-givers are three
and a half times more likely than
givers to report they are “not
happy at all.” In addition, several
large studies have also found that
senior citizens who volunteer have
a 40 percent lower probability of
dying in a given year than people
of the same age and health level.
Giving
also
increases
personal as well as national
prosperity. Pointing to a survey
conducted in 2000 that controlled
for education, age, race and all
the other outside explanations
for giving and income increases,
Brooks reports that a dollar donated to charity was associated
with $4.35 in extra income.”

Obviously, there are also many tax and other financial
perks to philanthropy, in addition to the betterment of the
community. The personal benefits definitely make it a
win-win-win activity. There are no losers when it comes to
philanthropy.
Why Give?

Let’s make sure we don’t become losers. Let’s all
learn to be philanthropists. Let’s stay ahead in our rent in

No matter what the definition of “philanthropy” Aroostook County for a long, long time in the future.
might be, there is no doubt that it drives the economy of
the area and the well-being of its citizens.

According to The Heritage Association, in an
SPRING 2011 philanthropy 31