How do your charitable contributions compare to Romney's?

Less.

So it's a progressive charitable contribution rate. 

I am nowhere near 15%, BUT and I can say this with the utmost confidence, if I made $42.7 Mil in the last two years I would be donating at least that much to many different charities of my liking.  It would feel amazing to be able to give away that kind of money.

From what I understand of the mormon church (Where most of the money went) it doesn't involve a lot of "free choosing".

Only if you consider damnation to everlasting hell optional.

A quick estimate for last year has us at 15.45% against gross income, although some of that is from a charitable trust we established a few years ago, so not reportable on our taxes for last year, but still money we control and direct to charity as we wish. 

Good for you.  Most people don't want to donate their time...I include myself in that statement.  I do volunteer some for my church and kids school...but should do more. 

A LOT less....the money just hasn't been there.

Thank you for this thread, I am now going make donating time/money a goal of mine for 2012.

Less.

Of course, if I made his annual $$ I probably wouldn't notice that the 15% was gone. It's chump change at that point.

jimbo - 2012-02-07 10:55 PM

scoobysdad - 2012-01-24 2:27 PM According to his tax return, Mitt Romney contributes about 15% of his income to charitable causes. Sure, he makes a ton of money, but I do respect someone who gives so generously of his own free choosing. I contribute to a few causes close to me, including my local parish, our local Humane Society and a couple of breast and childhood cancer charities, but I'm nowhere that percentage. Incidentally, according to his tax return, Obama donates about 1%.

incidentally, you'd be wrong that figure about the Obamas is based on their 2000-2004 tax returns. in 2010, they donated 14.2% to charity. i agree, you do have to respect someone who gives so generously of his own free choosing. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/19/us/politics/19obama.html?_r=1oh. hi there. how ya doin? are we still on for this bet?

scoobysdad - 2010-03-21 9:22 PM

jimbo - 2010-03-21 8:18 PM here's a prediction. it won't be repealed. it will gain in popularity over time. it will be improved upon. i'll check back in 6 years. now bring on the death panels.

I will take your bet. The usual amount, Mortimer? In fact, I would bet that the candidate who inevitably defeats Obama in the next election will make the repeal of this bill a primary plank of his or her platform.

(and now, i will return to radio silence)

Dude! Where ya been?

I know I'm synical, but I'm not to impressed with charitable donations a president makes while in office.  He's under such a microscope that he knows he has to make large donations.

its what they do before and after office that means a bit more.

i give 10% of my income, but wish i could give time, because that's what a lot of the local charities that i support REALLY need...i admit i just don't make it a priority.

I don't consider a church to be a charity. Do we know how much went to charity vs his church? It's not important to me that he contribute to a charity vs his church, but if we are supposed to judge his merit based upon his contributions, I think it would be a more significant data point to consider.

Another more significant data point to consider would be the % of his charitable contributions against his %age of his disposable income. Contributing 5% when you live at the poverty level is vastly more generous, IMO, than when you contribute 15% and your income exceeds your expenses 50 times over, for example.

Numbers are fun things to consider.

Not to discount Mr. Romney's contributions; he is faithful to his church in that he tithes as required. I don't really care about that, though, from a character perspective. I'm not interested in his church.

In my opinion, charitable giving is best kept private.  perhaps I'm being idealistic, but once donation amounts are released for anybody, whether they are a public figure or everyday Joe, it tends to turn into an, "I'm better than you because I gave more...yada-yada-yada."  (it's similar to movie stars getting photo ops helping out for a day or two in a disaster zone)

...and yes, I realize if it were kept private, charitable outfits would collapse unfortunately.  human nature seems to hold that folks are going to give a lot more to charity when people are watching.  

personally, I could care less what a political candidate gave to charity.  what truly matters is what they will do when in office.  will they continue to let the wealthiest Americans skate by with the lowest tax rate in modern history as the separation between rich and poor grows wider and wider?