A Few Thoughts on Philanthropy

LifestyleWork

Nov 21

Written By Yelena Sheremeta

You’ve likely seen the headlines:

“Patagonia’s billionaire owner gives away company to fight climate crisis”

“My decision to give away ownership of Hobby Lobby: I chose God”

“MacKenzie Scott donates $2 billion as Jeff Bezos pledges to give away his fortune”

Similar pledges to give away their fortunes to charity have been made by Bill Gates, Melinda French Gates and Warren Buffet.

It may seem acceptable that the wealthy should give away their fortunes to those in need and support charitable causes, after all, they have more money than they could ever spend in a lifetime anyways, right? But what about those of us who are not millionaires or billionaires?

Often, when hear the word “philanthropy” we think it is something reserved for the wealthy, but here are some definitions that paint a better picture of this concept:

An act or gift done or made for humanitarian purposes (Merriam-Webster)
A form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the public good, focusing on quality of life" (Wikipedia)
“The purpose of philanthropy is to improve the wellbeing of humankind by preventing and solving social problems. Philanthropy is not the same as charity. Charity focuses on eliminating the suffering caused by social problems, while philanthropy focuses on eliminating social problems. For example, giving food to a person who is suffering from a famine is charity. The food helps the person for a short period of time, but the person will become hungry again in the future. Teaching the person how to grow food is philanthropy because it eliminates the social problem causing the person's hunger.” (Learning to Give)

I grew up poor in an immigrant family, and there were many times when we had to rely on welfare and charity to get by. This ingrained in me an ambition to break that cycle and God willing, be able to provide for my family while also helping others without having to rely on public assistance or charity.

I am a testimony that charity is a temporary fix. It has its place, but it won’t solve the bigger problems in our society. For example, the food stamps my family received put food on the table when we were little, but the loan a non-profit gave me at a low, simple interest rate for graduate school opened the door for me to get a good job and access to a wealth of benefits for myself and my family.

Becoming a mom has also made me even more conscious of the world my son is going to grow up in - from the food he eats (we’re starting to introduce solids!), to the healthcare he has access to, how he’ll be educated, and where he’ll be raised (city vs. country).

Recently, my husband and I were discussing the topic of giving and philanthropy and decided to set aside a portion from each paycheck in a separate account for supporting our church, giving where needs arise, and investing in philanthropy. It’s a small amount as of now, but I truly believe that to those who use what they have wisely, more will be given, but the ones who don’t steward wisely what they’ve been given, that will be taken away (Matthew 25:29).

This is rooted in whether we view what we have with a mindset of abundance or scarcity. Even if you have a little, if you view it as enough, you give more freely. But even if you have a lot by the world’s standards but view it as not enough, you hold what you have tightly and often lack generosity. It’s not about how much you have, but how you view what you have.

In his book, "I Dare You," William Danforth explains this principle of life: "Our most valuable possessions are those which can be shared without lessening; those which when shared multiply. Our least valuable possessions are those which when divided are diminished."

“For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.” -Matthew 13:12

Remember the Bible stories about the loaves of bread and fish that Jesus used to feed thousands? In his book, Danforth points out that this story teaches us to have an attitude that takes account of resources possessed rather than of difficulties presented: "Don't count the multitude. Count the loaves...resources and powers are given to those who use what resources and powers they have."

When Hobby Lobby founder David Green wrote an op-ed about giving away his business, he wrote: “When I realized that I was just a steward, it was easy to give away my ownership.”

The Biblical mandate to steward and multiply what we have been entrusted with on this side of heaven - finances, time, talents, resources, relationships, work, etc - and to give to those in need is not exclusive to the wealthy. We give out of what we have.

“In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” -Acts 20:35

Here are some things I’m pondering that I encourage you to reflect on as well:

Do I view my finances and resources from a place of abundance or scarcity?
What social issues or causes are important to me and my family? Why?
How can I support and invest in these causes? Consider opportunities for giving, volunteering, raising awareness, educating yourself on a certain issue, etc.
In reviewing our budget, what portion can we designate to give back to those in need and to the causes/issues we care about as a family? Determine the exact amount you will set aside and how often.
Where does tithing fit into our giving strategy (i.e., is tithing and giving the same thing or two different categories)?
What is one step I can take in the next week to move the needle on growing my legacy of philanthropy and giving back?

To wrap this up, I love this quote by Queen Elizabeth: “On our own, we cannot end wars or wipe out injustice, but the cumulative impact of thousands of small acts of goodness can be bigger than we imagine.”