So, last year, as my business took off (yep, that’s part of why the posts slowed, then stopped) I started to think about social responsibility and how I could potentially make money and do good. There are lots of organizations that do that, from the GAP, with its RED campaign to small giving from individuals who just feel they have more than they need. I started going to events with Resource Generation (http://www.resourcegeneration.org/home.html) an organization for young people with wealth (which is something people self-define) who are interested in progressive and/or radical philanthropy. I really enjoyed having a place to think about my values and to talk about money, which is taboo in so much of our culture. I have not made a formal giving plan, although I would like to, but I am giving away money more thoughtfully and intentionally. I don’t have a TON of money, and all the money I give away is money that I made through my consulting business, so it feels very personal and connected to my day to day life. I often struggle with whether to take clients who pay more but are more work and less interesting (so that I can give away more money, knowing that I will also be tired) or whether to do sliding scale and probono work that’s more interesting and needed. But that’s a topic for another blog post.
Here are some things that matter to me in donating to organizations:
1. The organization serves VERY marginalized people. Undocumented immigrants, low income transgender people, people doing organizing in countries with young or non-existent democracies are examples of groups that move me and are also very marginalized.
2. It serves a unique niche (does not duplicate the services of other organizations). Unpopular though it is, I believe that there are actually TOO MANY nonprofits in most sectors doing the same things.
3. It shares my values. This is sometimes hard to pin down; I value inclusiveness in decision-making, but also community autonomy, which are values that are sometimes in conflict, as are efficiency and democracy, which are also values that are important to me. I find that rather than reading the organizations’ official stance, watching people involved with the organization function helps me to clarify this, and I try to do it without getting in the way or being a high-maintenance donor.
4. It is transparent about how money is used.
5. The organization (or person) asks for money. I am not sure why this is so important to me, but it is.
I also tend to give to organizations where people I know work or receive services. I tend to give monthly in consistent amounts and I respond to stated needs (another intern would make a big difference) but not so much to crisis fundraising (the exception being earthquakes and the like–not fiscal crises).
Where I grew up, most people were Southern Baptist and many tithed 10% of their income. That is the number that I strive for, although sometimes I over or under-shoot, depending upon what’s going on in my life. I do think that if we even gave 10% of our discretionary income (the amount above food, shelter and other basic necessities) that we’d catch up with the Right Wing faster.
Do you give away money? Time? Other things? What helps you decide who to give to and how?
I like to give money to organisations who are too radical (or politically effective) to get mainstream funding. In Australia, many of these organisations are not eligible for tax deductibility status (governments don’t tend to like radicals) and that really limits the number of people who will donate to them.