Happy 250th Birthday America!

As our country celebrates our 250^th birthday, it is a good time to think about what makes our country so great. Some people will say the freedoms we enjoy. Others may say the beautiful places that dot our map. It could be the rights we have as citizens.

These are all good answers to the question, but I don’t think there is just one answer. It is a combination of things, including my favorite:

America is arguably the most generous country on earth.

America is arguably the most generous country on earth. A friend needs help? The entire neighborhood shows up. A local nonprofit needs extra support to tackle a local problem? The community steps up. A natural disaster strikes? A fundraiser is created almost instantly. Each year we send billions in donations to help people at home and in countries well beyond our shores. 

The 2026 Giving USA report shows that in 2025 Americans donated about $617 billion to U.S. based nonprofits, which is the second highest amount ever! For further evidence of American generosity, you need look no further than the thousands of people who have helped build the Idaho Community Foundation and the more than $225 million in grants that ICF has made across our state since our founding in 1988. 

If you would like to carry on the American tradition of giving back and in celebration of our country’s historic birthday, I suggest you visit our America250 Fund page to see the list of projects you can donate to. This includes the refurbishment of the Liberty Bell replica that usually sits outside the Capitol Building in Boise. Once refurbished, the Liberty Bell will be brought on a tour of towns across Idaho.

Happy 250^th Birthday America! Thank you for two and a half centuries of being home to the most generous people on earth. How great is that?

Steve Burns, President & CEO Steve Burns is the President and CEO of the Idaho Community Foundation (ICF), where he is dedicated to building a stronger, more connected Idaho through philanthropy. Since joining ICF in 2022, Steve has been instrumental in expanding the foundation's reach and impact.