America said yesterday.

Mr. Brian O'Connell, president of Independent Sector in Washington, D.C., said his three-day visit to the Island left him impressed with the high degree of individual and corporate giving.

"Bermudians have a right to feel enormously proud...of the degree to which you already care and exercise that care,'' he said at a news conference yesterday.

"I think it's very important to begin to document this so that more people have an understanding of how much caring there really is.'' Mr. O'Connell, who was invited by the Committee on Philanthropy, said that group's recently-completed register of the Island's 218 charities is an excellent start.

Demographics on who gives what in terms of time and money would also be useful, as would more information on the wide range of non-profit activities that exist, he said.

More documentation can lead to increased media attention, which in turn can lead to more giving, as more people get interested, Mr. O'Connell said.

It is also satisfying to those who give, and can cause charitable leaders to meet and compare notes, he said.

Independent Sector is a US coalition that includes 850 foundations, corporations, and voluntary groups. It is an advocacy group for volunteering and giving.

While here, Mr. O'Connell met with representatives of Government, corporations, and the mental health, substance abuse, and philanthropic sectors.

On Monday night, he spoke at a public forum on philanthropy, where he heard concerns about how charities can be more effective and how their performances can be evaluated.

Mr. O'Connell is the fourth speaker the Committee on Philanthropy has brought to the Island.

The committee serves as a source for information and is "actively trying to create a forum for public discussion to further understanding of charity on the Island,'' chairman Mr. Cummings Zuill said.

MR. BRIAN O'CONNELL.