Colorado Is Home to a Vibrant Philanthropic Sector: Driving Billions in Economic and Social Benefits
As Alexis de Tocqueville observed nearly two centuries ago, private giving is an essential part of the American enterprise. In Democracy in America, the French philosopher highlighted Americans’ unique commitment to philanthropy—the desire to use one’s own talent and treasure to promote the welfare of others. “Americans of all ages, all conditions, all minds constantly unite,” he wrote. “Americans use associations to give fêtes, to found seminaries, to build inns, to raise churches, to distribute books, to send missionaries to the antipodes; in this manner they create hospitals, prisons, schools.”
In societies with large and growing governments, it can be easy to doubt the need for private giving and dismiss the essential role philanthropies play in solving difficult social challenges.
This report explores the impact of philanthropy—how and whether it contributes to vibrant communities, growing economies, the strength of families, individual educational outcomes, and more. It examines what Colorado would look like without its philanthropic sector and attempts to quantify what level of taxation would be necessary to replace the state’s vibrant tradition of private giving.
