TOPIC: ARGUMENT144 - According to a poll of 200 charitable organizations, donations of money to nonprofit groups increased by nearly 25 percent last year, though not all charities gained equally. Religious groups gained the most (30 percent), followed by environmental groups (23 percent), whereas educational institutions experienced only a very small increase in donations (3 percent). This poll indicates that more people are willing and able to give money to charities but that funding for education is not a priority for most people. These differences in donation rates must result from the perception that educational institutions are less in need of donations than are other kinds of institutions.
WORDS: 346 TIME: 00:30:35 DATE: 2007-8-7 下午 05:53:20
In this argument, the arguer cites the evidence that educational group gained least compared to two other groups in last year's donation to reach the conclusion that funding for education is not a priority for most people while more people are willing and able to give money to charities and that these differences in donation rates must result from the perception, educational institution are less in need of donations than are other kinds of institutions. However, there are several flaws in this argument, as discussed below.
First of all, in the absence of the data concerning the base number of the donation gained by each of these three groups last year, the arguer could not convince me that the educational group gained the least absolute quantity. It is quite possible that the base number of donation for educational groups are so large that only a 3 percent gain would overwhelm the quantities of the other two kinds of groups.
Granted that the educational group received the least amount, it is still too early to conclude that funding for education is not a priority for most people. Perhaps that it is the wealthy individuals who donated the most money for the groups other than educational one. If this is the case, it is equally possible that most people are still preferring to donate to the educational institution.
Finally, no sufficient evidence indicates that these differences in donation rates must result from the perception that educational institutions are less in need of donations than are other kinds of institutions. It is entirely possible that most people still regard the educational institutions for the ones that need donations. Nevertheless, these people are more interested in donating other groups such as religious groups or environmental groups.
In conclusion, the argument could not stand itself. To strengthen the argument, we need to know the base number of the donation gained by each of these three groups last year. Further more, we should survey in a more detailed way that whether it is the wealthy individuals who donate for a particular group.