’Tis the season to give.
Around 80 percent of local residents recently polled by Strongpoint Opinion Research said they give to nonprofit charities during the holiday season. The community poll is compiled by Strongpoint in partnership with the Arizona Daily Star.
More than 1,300 Pima County residents responded to the December survey. Another 50 respondents said they live outside of Pima County.
Of those polled, 41 percent said they set aside money for charity during the holiday season. Another 36 percent said they put aside donation items, such as clothing, appliances and canned goods when the holidays come around each year.
And when respondents were asked who they aim to help most, the answers were fairly spread out among 11 choices, though low-income individuals and families, and those helping people experiencing food insecurities topped out in first and second place respectively.
However, when thinking of specific organizations, 31 percent of respondents said they tend to gravitate toward charities that help children and struggling families. Other types of charities also included as selection options, such as veteran groups and animal rescues, weren’t too far behind.
And while the majority of Pima County residents who were polled seem to take the season of giving quite seriously, 62 percent of poll respondents said building a relationship with an organization to which they donate was not at all important or was only slightly important to them.
The Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona sees an increase in monetary donations in addition to the number of organizations running food drives this time of a year, says Norma Cable, a spokeswoman for the nonprofit organizations.
“We know that the last couple of months in the year are the big ones for us,” Cable says. “The community brings a general spirit of giving. We wouldn’t be here without support like that.”
“Tax credit is another great thing to keep in mind,” she says.
Strongpoint’s poll said that 61 percent of respondents take advantage of state tax credit for charitable giving, though only 24 percent said it was extremely or very important to them that their donations be tax-deductible.
Cable also mentioned the food bank has many donation stations at the annual Winterhaven Festival of Lights. Last year, the food bank collected close to 50,000 pounds of food thanks to festival-goers.
“We really appreciate the generosity of Southern Arizona,” Cable says. “We are constantly amazed by people who reach out and support someone who needs help this holiday season.”
