Wealth and Social Responsibility: Philanthropy and Social Service Giving in Southern Maine and Southern New Hampshire

Abstract

This article examines the social service giving and voluntary participation of a sample of wealthy philanthropists in southern Maine and southern New Hampshire. It reports on the findings of a qualitative study that suggests that, in this understudied population, there is a group of wealthy philanthropists who donate their largest gifts to social service organizations and are engaged in hands-on volunteer activities. They seek to interact collaboratively with these organizations in attempts to participate in their communities and give back to society. Although the findings are not necessarily generalizable to the national population of wealthy philanthropists, they suggest a trend that may be important to the funding and service delivery of social service organizations in the current political and economic climate.

KEYWORDS:

• charitable giving
• collaboration
• community
• funding
• nonprofits
• philanthropy
• social services
• voluntarism
• wealth