美国慈善事业发展的历史、原因及启示

The History,Reasons and Enlightenments of the Development of Philanthropy in the United States

美国的慈善事业自国家起源之时就有了萌芽,其深度和广度随着国家的成长与进步不断发展。时至今日,美国慈善事业以其庞大的捐赠量和极高的捐赠参与率,成为当今世界慈善事业最为发达的国家。究其根本,美国慈善事业的发展,既源自于雄厚的经济实力,也有赖于呼吁社会责任的志愿精神,还得益于法律对民众正面激励和反面制约的双管齐下。剔除经济这一环境因素,道德指引与法律规制对于美国慈善事业的发展至关重要且缺一不可。中国发展慈善事业,也应给予慈善文化与慈善法制同等重视。

Philanthropy in the United States has germinated since the origin of the country,the width and depth of which have developed with the country＇s growth.Nowadays philanthropy in the United States is a sample for the whole world with its huge amount of donation and high rate of participation.The reasons for its development are not only strong economic strength,but also volunteerism which calls for social responsibility,and laws that positively stimulates as well as negatively restricts citizens.Setting aside the economic factor,both moral guidance and legal regulation are the most significant and indispensable to the prosperity of philanthropy in the United States.We ought to attach equal importance to charitable culture and charitable laws in order to promote philanthropy in China.