Latin American Philanthropy Lags

As humanitarian groups have shifted aid to other parts of the world, Latin American philanthropists have not made up for the dearth of charity dollars, reports the Associated Press.

Latin America does not lack wealth, the article says, but a culture of giving has not developed among corporations and individuals, partly because of the region’s “paternalist” history. In the past, government social programs and the Roman Catholic Church undertook most philanthropic activities.

In Mexico, most businesses today donate less than 1 percent of their income to charity, compared with an average of 3 percent in the United States. In addition, the lack of an inheritance tax in Mexico gives wealthy individuals little incentive to build up deductions by giving away money before they die.

Read The Chronicle of Philanthropy’s report on tapping Hispanic philanthropy here. (A paid subscription is required to view this article.)