SWEET CHARITY

ET CETERA

THE60 MINUTES/VANITY FAIRPOLL

Give, and ye shall perceive. And maybe receive as well. But perception seems to play a big role in charity—in how, why, when, and where we give, and in what we think about it all.

Our perception, for instance, is that Ben Affleck is the most charitable celebrity. He’s 13th, actually; it’s Taylor Swift who gave away the most money in 2012, according to DoSomething.org. And while Americans say (solidly: 57 percent) that we’d feel better giving away a fortune than receiving one, that’s really just our perception, What since few of us will ever get to test that assumption. Along the same lines, we claim (overwhelmingly) that if we had millions to give to a cause, we’d do it anonymously. So we surmise, anyway.

Finally, what about Charity, uppercase? Asked what name we’d pick for a daughter we’d like to see take after her name, Charity polled just 4 percent, well behind Hope, Faith, and Joy. What’s really odd are two other names that ranked higher than Charity: Margarita and Brooklyn. That seems a tricky proposition, taking after a drink or a borough. But maybe it’s just a matter of perception.

What do you do when panhandlers ask you for money?

Do you think of paying your taxes as a form of charity?

If you ran a charity, which of these philanthropists would you want to support your cause?

Which of these is more valuable for you to give: your money or your time?

Which do you think would feel better: to give away a fortune or to receive a fortune?

Twenty-five years from now, do you think Lance Armstrong will be remembered more for doping or for his charity work?

Which one of these types of giving do you think has thebestchance of making a real difference?

If people took after their names, which of these would you most likely name your daughter?

Which of these celebrities do you think gave the mostmoney to charity last year?

If you could donate millions to a cause, would you donate anonymously or would you want to be recognized for it?

Americans would rather give away a fortune than receive one—and if we could give one away, we'd do it anonymously. Take that, Sweden

^ACCORDING TO DOSDMETHING.ORG, TAYLOR SWIFT GAVE THE MOST IN 2012.

This poll was conducted on behalf of CBS News by Social Science Research Solutions of Media, Pennsylvania, among a random sampling of 1,009 adults nationwide, interviewed by telephone August 14-18, 2013. Some low-percentage answer choices have been omitted.