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Retired Baby Boomers Get Hands-On With Charitable Giving

Fox News, 2/29/08

Abstract:

Retired baby boomers who are donating their money and time to charitable causes are doing so in a more hands-on way than previous generations of retirees, according  to the Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society in New York.

"Social change is the focus for the baby boomers," said Barbara Luria Leopold, coordinator of International Fellows Programs at the Center  on Philanthropy and Civil Society, or CPCS. "One of the common things we notice is that when [this generation] talks about giving, they are talking about doing as well as as giving money. They want to discuss their potential for volunteering as they retire," she said.

An August 2005 survey of 2,333 American adults conducted by the Prime Group, a marketing consultant in Washington, D.C., showed 75% of all baby boomers' contributions go toward charities focusing on health, education, disaster relief and arts and culture. Twenty-five percent goes toward advocacy issues and political campaigns. On average, baby boomers donate $1,361 each year, according to the survey.

But "giving" for baby boomers often comes in the form of volunteer hours at places where they are already involved, like schools, churches, or charitable organizations, according to Leopold.

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