Tag: nonprofit austin

How Does Austin Rank in Charitable Donations?

How charitable is Austin compared to other cities in the U.S.? In 2015, overall charitable giving in the United States increased 1.6% on a year-over-year basis. Additionally, online giving grew 9.2% in 2015 as compared to 2014 (Blackbaud “2015 Charitable Giving Report”). How does Austin’s giving trends compare to those nationally? Currently, the giving ratio in the Greater Austin area is 2.71%. This means that the average person living in our community donates 2.71% of their annual income to charity. In comparison, Dallas’s giving ratio is 3.77%, Houston’s is 3.48% and San Antonio’s is 3.29%–making Austin the “least charitable” out of the largest four cities in Texas. According to the Chronicle of Philanthropy’s 2012 analysis, Austin ranked 36th out of the largest 50 cities in the U.S. in terms of charitable giving. The amount Austinites give has decreased over time too; from 2006 to 2012, the amount donated to nonprofits dropped by 3.3%. Of course, these studies don’t account for other ways people often contribute to their communities: through volunteer work, serving on nonprofit boards and committees, donations or in-kind gifts from corporations rather than individuals, etc. Still, it seems strange that while people around the country as a whole are giving more of their income to nonprofits, Austinites are giving less–especially when you consider that Austin has the most nonprofits per capita than any other major metro area in Texas and the Southwest United States region. Some say having too many nonprofits is part of the problem. Donors do not know where […]

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SXSW 2016 Preview

It’s either the most wonderful time of the year, or the least wonderful time of the year, depending on which type of Austinite you are–it’s SXSW time. Like it or not, we are mere days away from 320,000 visitors who will flood the streets and venues of our city to check out live music, preview films and learn about the newest innovative ideas at the Interactive convention. We’ve compiled a list of the things we’re most excited to see at SXSW this year: POTUS and FLOTUS make a few appearances This is the first time a U.S. president has stopped at SXSW and he is making it count. On March 11th, President Obama will sit down with Evan Smith, CEO and Editor-in-Chief of The Texas Tribune, to discuss civic engagement in the 21st Century and to ask the audience to apply their ideas and talents to “make technology work for us – especially when it comes to tackling big challenges like increasing participation in the political process and fighting climate change.” First Lady Michelle Obama will speak on March 16th about the Let Girls Learn initiative, which aims to break barriers for the 62 million girls around the world who are not in school today. No matter your political alliances, how many times will you have the chance to hear a president speak at SXSW? Panel: Building a Philanthropic Fashion Empire: Do Good Local fashion designer and philanthropist, Kendra Scott, will share her views of the importance of corporate social responsibility in a […]

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