Philanthropy flows to poor countries, some of it from famous outfits such as the Ford Foundation, and some unofficially from millions of ordinary givers.
A new study by the Hudson Institute concludes that U.S. private giving to poor countries came to a sum more than triple the U.S. government's foreign aid.
And nearly as large as the $80 billion given away by all donor governments combined.
By itself, official U.S. foreign aid comes to a minimal 0.17 percent of the gross domestic product, the second-lowest share among the 22 rich countries tracked by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Add in private philanthropy, and U.S. help to poor countries jumps to 0.61 percent of GDP, only slightly less than the 0.7 percent target urged by development advocates.
But who's giving most of this private aid?
Foundations, corporate philanthropic efforts, religious organizations and voluntary aid groups account for only about one third;
fully two-thirds comes from migrant workers sending money home. But these transfers, mainly within families, clearly aren't the same as "foreign aid" or even "charity."
Eliminate these remittances, and the United States doesn't stand out for its generosity.
A nation that wants to lead the world should invest more in the battle against poverty.
[From a Washington Post editorial]
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