The Pros of Welfare and Charity - Essay Example

4 March The Pros of Welfare and Charity Welfare programs and charitableworks are intended to provide aid to those who are most helpless and poorest. Oftentimes, assistance is made available to individuals who are incapable due to a variety of reasons: illness, old age, physical and mental disabilities among others. The advantages of welfare programs and charities are that they mitigate the drastic impact of unemployment, illiteracy, and economic turmoil. While many have doubted the positive effects charities and welfare programs would bring to the public, and although there is less feasibility on cutting the loopholes within the society, welfare system and charitable organizations help in the provision of alternative ways in order to systematically empower and educate both the young and old.

Public funds and charities are not meant to teach individuals to become indolent and overly reliant on donations and government assistance; the kind of support that they receive from both NPOs and the government can be utilized and taken advantage in several ways such as in financing education and establishing their own business. So, there is more valid reason as to why there is a need for us to dig deeper in the pros of welfare and charities in every society at large. The Pros of Welfare Welfare generally refers to the providing of a minimum cost of security and social support for individuals belonging in a certain country.

Social welfare, in particular, specifically points toward the promotion of common good and general welfare for the people such as “bring about civic betterments and social improvements” (Internal Revenue Service, “Social Welfare”). In highly developed countries such as the United States, welfare is mostly provided by the government, along with charitable organizations, non-governmental organizations, religious associations, and inter-governmental organizations. In the United States, welfare are given through various means, but are usually made available in a form of cash benefits.

These public aids can be used for healthcare programs, anti-poverty campaigns, and funds for educating out-of-school youths. As aforementioned, welfare is such that does not tolerate indolence and dependence on public spending, but it provides opportunities for less-fortunate individuals who do not have control over their financial situations i.e. children whose parents have died at an early age; elderlies who are no longer capable to work. Of course, logically, public assistance is not meant to replace the income that every person receives from jobs or business perhaps, but it should be sufficient enough to acquire prime commodities like food and shelter.

Some people are not as lucky as others. For example, a person who was borne with disabilities, you cannot expect him or her to act as able as the normal people. There would be limitations along the way, especially when it comes to obtaining jobs, which eventually negatively influences his or her income. Thus, public spending, no matter how meagre, provides enough support to assist those who are in dire need of financial services. In the long run, it can be fairly postulated that once civic betterment has been achieved by educating and empowering citizens, especially children, positive impacts will automatically make their way to the national economy.

The Pros of Charity Charitable organizations are those which are established and operated for objectives that are valuable and advantageous to the public interest (IRS 30). Private charitable organizations primarily obtain their funds from private individuals and groups such as an individual, an organization, family, etc. and it avoids lobbying funds from the public. Private charities take a “holistic approach in bettering the lives of individuals” (Heath 5). Perhaps, one of the most significant pros of charitable organizations is that they are not under the control of the government.

Private charitable organizations are autonomous and there is less politics involved; hence, there is likewise less corruption involved. Public spending, on the contrary, has to go through a long political and legal procedures before it can reach to the public; nevertheless, private charities can be made available to citizens instantaneously. The primary objective of charities, that is, to better the lives of individuals, presents more than enough reason to appreciate the advantages it affords the people.

Works Cited Heath, Hadley. What You Need to Know. International Women’s Forum, 2011. Web. 4 March 2013. “G. Social Welfare: What Does it Mean? How Much Private Benefit is Permissible? What is a Community?” irs. International Revenue Service, n.d. Web. 4 March 2013. “Tax Exempt Status for Your Organization”. Irs. International Revenue Service, 2011. Web. 4 March 2013.