Since 1987, the Gallup polling organization has been keeping track of charitable giving in the United States. As could be expected, the Gallup every-other-year polls have found that Americans are most generous during an economic upturn, as they were in 1989. That was the year 75 percent of U.S. households reported charitable donations of some sort. In 1995 -- the most recent survey, Gallup found that only 69 percent of households made charitable donations.

In addition to being a charitable-gifts barometer of the national economy, the polls also have charted another trend: An increasing number of Americans don't trust charitable organizations to be honest and ethical in the use of donations. Some highly publicized instances where large sums of money were mishandled by big charitable organizations no doubt have had some influence in that regard.

All of which argues in favor of support for local charitable organizations where the individuals running the show and the likely recipients of the benefits are likely to be well-known to donors. And one umbrella organization that represents many of these local organizations is the Area Wide United Way, which currently is conducting its annual fund drive for its affiliated agencies.

In many cases, individuals who make a United Way donation -- either by writing a check or signing up for payroll deductions where they work -- are intimately familiar with one or more of the agencies that will receive a portion of the money raised. And these generous individuals very likely also know someone who has directly benefited, thanks to the community's support.

For its part, the United Way is pretty much an open book. Anyone interested in the particulars of a United Way agency or that agency's services can easily find out by contacting the Area Wide United Way office in Cape Girardeau. (The Area Wide United Way supports organizations in Cape Girardeau, Jackson and Scott City.)

The level of generosity and support for local charitable organizations in this are is commendable. One important reason for this may be reflected in the nationwide Gallup poll: The more you know about the organization that will get your money, the more comfortable your are likely to be in make a gift or a pledge.