As we approach the time in the semester where we have to
begin discussing where to give the money, I am left wondering how do we give.
We are not a single individual or a family, we are a class of 25 loud and
opinionated students. There has been no Peter Singer like help book for us to
read and evaluate how best to give away our money. With the parameters of our
giving being so broad, we are left with nearly no direction. So, how will we
make a difference? We criticize the Salwen family and the ideas within Peter
Singers book, yet we fail to realize how difficult it really will be to give
this money away. If we look at the organizations finances, will the “head”
portion of giving primarily influence us; and if we only look at their mission and
accomplishments, will our heart cloud our judgment?
Furthermore, this isn’t our hard earned money that we are
giving away. In reality, Doris Buffet has more faith in us than I do. She has
given away $1,410,000 to Learning By Giving programs since 2003, and this year
alone will give $350,000. http://www.learningbygivingfoundation.org/
With little instruction but to make our community better, Doris has put money
and faith into these programs. We are merely giving away someone else’s money.
At one point I thought that this class was the perfect model
for giving. And though we have yet to even begin the true process I can picture
so many problems facing us in the future. The reality of this class is that
even though we will make a difference and we are learning how to be smart
philanthropists, we are essentially being paid through college credit to take
this course. I believe that this class will have a huge impact of me in the
future. I have never really thought of philanthropy so pragmatically, and I now
realize that there really is a right and a wrong way to give. If we look at Ronald
Read, a man who led a frugal life yet donated his secret fortune upon his
death, we are faced with an example of what I believe can be described as the
‘perfect form of giving’. Mr. Read didn’t gain anything from giving away his
money, he led a frugal life and only lived off of what he absolutely needed,
and he was able to help his community. If we compare Mr. Read and the Salwen family, we are met with
a clear distinction of character and intention. I read this article shortly
after beginning “The Power of Half”, and could not stop thinking about this
distinction. Now I can’t stop thinking about how we will match up. I understand
that our circumstances are different, and we will give away money (that is not
our own) to specific organization that we believe will be able to help the
community. However, I hope that we will be able to make an impact and really
live up to the mission of Learning By Giving.
Hannah,
ReplyDeleteI really liked the way you wrote this blog post. For me, it was very thought provoking and made me start to think even further about the task that we have ahead of us as a class. Like you, I have been thinking a lot recently about how difficult this process is really going to be. I want to be optimistic, but I know that I have a hard time making decisions by myself and I can't imagine how hard it's going to be to decide which organizations will benefit the most from our limited resources. At the beginning of the course, I did take a quick look at last year's blog and found some definite conflict during the final weeks of the semester. I think that blog archive is a perfect testament to how difficult this decision is going to be. I know that some people will have very strong opinions for or against certain organizations, and I really hope that we can come to a consensus as a group of 25 people with very different values and opinions.
One of my favorite parts of your post was this: "In reality, Doris Buffet has more faith in us than I do." I absolutely loved this, because it's the honest truth. It's quite a bit of pressure to give away so much of somebody else's money, and this foundation has put a lot of trust in a bunch of college students. In addition, I thought it was very interesting that you said there is a right and a wrong way to give. In general, I think I would agree with you on that. It is important to do your research, know where you're giving, and know what your money is doing, even if you don't give away every penny you ever earn. Regardless of the dollar amount you are giving, it is important to do your best to give in the "right" way. However, in this particular instance, I don't think there is a wrong way to give. You mentioned that you were worried that we wouldn't make an impact, but I truly believe that we will. As someone who has lived here for nearly twenty years, I know there are so many small charities and organizations that could desperately use our help. There are still organizations that are trying to recover from the flood that occurred in 2011 (for example, Mom's House, one of the organizations that last year's class donated to). And I know that with the diversity of the organizations in this area, something will appeal to every one in the class. Even though we're not able to donate a million dollars to the charities of our choosing, I honestly believe that the money we do have to give will make a difference in this area. We won't be able to help every single organization in the area, but we will definitely make a lasting difference in the ones we do. Regardless of how much we struggle to make a decision, I will take comfort in knowing that we *will* make a difference when we finally reach that decision, and I hope everyone else will take some comfort in that too.
Hi Hannah,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your thought provoking post! I enjoyed that you were honest rather than sugar-coating the challenge we have ahead of us. Of course signing up for this class sounded like an amazing thing, giving money to local causes, what could go wrong? However, the summary on BU Brain forgot to mention the obstacles we would face. Our goal in this course is to give back to the community by deciding where $10,000 can best be used in the non-profit world around us. Last weeks class was really the start of our planning process and as we began looking at the forms for organizations to fill out I realized how difficult this task was truly going to be. We were already disagreeing on so many aspects, from how to phrase a question to whether they should be limited to a mere sentence or a full paragraph. You make a great point that we are not one individual or family, we are 25 students coming from different backgrounds, races, majors and even age! Although these may look like setbacks right now, they are in fact crucial in our process and provide us with different outlooks and opinions that may make agreeing on things difficult, but will allow us to see a variety of views.
I like the line you wrote that, “with little instruction but to make our community better, Doris has put money and faith into these programs. We are merely giving away someone else’s money.” It is true that we really have come into this without much direction or realizing how much is on our plate. However, I believe that is Doris’ plan all along; she wants us to figure it out. It would be simple for her to say ‘these are worthy organizations in your area that deserve grants,’ but part of this class is learning how to recognize an organization that is using their donations in the right way rather than one who is not and how to figure out which organizations you support will make the most difference. Although in the literal sense we are “merely giving away someone else’s money” I don’t think Doris views it like this. She wants us to come out of this class with as an experience as beneficial as the organizations we are trying to help. Doris’ strategy is not only selfless, but displays truly what it means to be a philanthropist. She doesn’t see this program as us giving away her money, but using her money as a method to not only teach us, but inspire us to realize the impact of philanthropy for the rest of our lives.
I really like that you end your post with as much passion as you began it with. I believe we will all come out of this class with different aspects that impacted us, however we will all know what the meaning of a true philanthropist is. Doris puts so much faith in us (even though I’m not sure I could trust a class of college students with such a large sum of my money) because she is certain that the experience we will have will be a positive one. I am an avid believer in hand on learning and I believe this class is giving us skills we will use outside the classroom by bringing issues around us into the classroom.
Thank you for a great post Hannah. I’m sure all of us can relate to your fear of not doing the most with the generous donation Doris Buffett has given us. It is highly unlikely that each of us will walk away from this course thinking we made the best choices possible. However, Doris is an intelligent, experienced and dedicated philanthropist. She clearly would have her own ideas of how $10,000 could be effectively used in the Binghamton area. So I think it is crucial to ask ourselves why she would instead choose to give it to us to spend. After reflecting on this, I believe we were given this money not just to improve the Binghamton area, but more importantly, to change our approach to philanthropy and push us to do greater things. I see this $10,000 more as an investment in us as individual future philanthropists than as an investment in the Binghamton area.
ReplyDeleteI think it is important not to overlook the title of this program. This program is aptly named “Learning by Giving.” Had Doris’ intention been to spend this $10,000 perfectly, it could simply be called “The $10,000 Donation.” Better yet, she would have just spent the $10,000 herself. Instead, this title highlights that it is a learning experience. Hopefully we learn about effective giving, our own values and the values of others. I think this is Doris’ bigger goal. Learning about all of these things will enable us to make a greater impact on our society.
Most of us agreed in class that our values and philanthropic priorities are not yet permanently set. However, in just a few weeks we will have to fight to promote some organizations over others. This challenge will surely ignite some of that passion some of us have not yet found. I can imagine it even feeling as if we are "taking" donations away from good causes when we see causes we care about not being focused on.
I think by seeing that not every great cause can be fought for each time a donation is made, we will begin to better understand our own values and find that needed passion. Hopefully this newly ignited passion will translate into our pursuits to give more money and time than we would have otherwise. In class we considered the “diffusion of responsibility” phenomenon. By seeing that we don’t all weigh our values identically and that some of the causes most important to us may be less important to others, hopefully we minimize this expectation of other people fighting for the things we value. Even if that translates to let’s say an additional $10,000 over the course of a lifetime for each of us, Doris’ $10,000 donation will have made an impact of $250,000.
Hi Hannah,
ReplyDeleteI really liked what you had to say in this blog post because you pointed out something we as a class have failed to recognize: we are college students and not the Salwen family, Peter Singer, or any other extremely noble group of people/individuals. But I think the fact that we are students is actually a very positive thing. We might not be able to personally contribute an extreme amount of wealth but I believe that we hold the power through knowledge. The average college student might be loud and opinionated, but will never have the ability to actually go through with grant making process and learn how the process works or what makes people inclined to donate their money. Being a part of the class, we can spread the knowledge of what we've learned about philanthropy which is a major way of contributing.
I also really like the link you included in your post. This gentleman is a perfect example that your name doesn't have to necessarily be in the spotlight when you're giving money away. This is actually considered to be of the highest levels of giving in the Jewish tradition since you are not looking for any kind of recognition.
The only thing I would disagree with you on is that there is a right and wrong way of giving. I think that giving is still giving at the end of the day. We want to believe that everyone is giving out of the kindness of their hearts and is fully aware and informed of their decisions when they give. However, we would be naive if we thought this way.
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ReplyDeleteHanna, you are certainly a very intelligent and thoughtful person – that was obvious from your blog – however I don’t think it’s necessary for curiosity to turn to stress over fiduciary responsibility. I believe that the entire purpose of the Learning By Giving Foundation is to “prepare students to become more purposeful givers and engage more effectively with nonprofit organizations in their communities”. Judging from what you have written the purpose that Doris Buffet intended has already been accomplished, or at least a path has been formed in that direction. While it would be great if somehow as a class we could come to a consensus and make the “perfect gift”, we probably won’t and that’s O.K. Luckily for us, as I am learning, our responsibility is not so much to make the perfect gift as it is to experience the process of trying to identify how and why to give and to face the reality of having to make difficult choices.
ReplyDeleteYour post was cool because you actually care enough about our mission that you did some research and found some interesting facts. After reading your post I started thinking and I started doing some research on my own. In reading more in-depth about LBG Foundation I started thinking about how fortunate we are to be at Binghamton University. We are one of only a handful of universities nationally that has been chosen to participate in this program, alongside with some pretty prestigious schools like Cornell, Stanford, NYU, Berkley, Georgetown and U of Chicago. Your post made me more aware of how fortunate we all are.
I enjoyed the comparison of the Ronald Reed story to the Salawen Family. One thing that I am becoming more open to is the idea that perhaps there really isn’t a best way to give. As compelling a story as Mr. Reed’s was, a critic could certainly find fault as we all did with the Salawen family. For example, needless suffering could certainly have been avoided had Mr. Reed donated his money sooner (over the course of his life) rather than waiting until his death. Yet, his story left a remarkable impression on me. What I am starting to believe is that it’s far more important to get involved (volunteer, donate, advocacy) in something, anything (even the “wrong” charity) and perfect it as you go along than wait and do nothing. Doing something today, inefficiently, is probably better than doing nothing, while figuring out what to do someday, in the most efficient manner.
If there is a “best way” to be philanthropic then I believe that way is the best way that you see fit. Giving is as unique as life itself. There is a two-way exchange in the process in which a giver receives something greater than the gift given. The gift received is a highly personal one. For some its happiness, for some its recognition, for some its repentance, and so on. Because the second half of the exchange is so personal it is impossible for me to say what the best way to give is. I think it is more productive for me to concentrate on the causes I believe in and to get involved in some small way immediately.
Thank you, Hanna, for a very thought-provoking and timely blog. You certainly made me think, nice job!
Hannah,
ReplyDeleteI think you bring up a great point that is especially important to start thinking about as we begin our giving process. I agree that as a class (myself included) we were quick to jump on the Salwen family for being irrational, hasty and at times inefficient in their giving. Yet I am assume that once we find ourselves in their position we will find it much harder to be “good givers" than it appears. Even if we are able to establish from our questioner what organizations are most effective and efficient in their giving there are still other factors to consider. For example, what cause is in need of the money the most? Do you divide the money or give it all to once place? Furthermore, our class discussion on the Salwen family has caused me to think back on my prior philanthropic acts. I criticized them for acting to quickly or not spending their money in the most productive way possible, yet have I acted differently? So often in the past I would hear about an organization through school or family and assume it was a worthy cause. However, rarely would I check to see how effectively the money was being spent. I always just felt that since I gave it must be good.
That being said, I think the beauty of this project is to help us get rid of this feeling of uncertainty. Not only to help make this process of giving the $10,000 as most effective as possible, but will also provide us with the tools to ensure all future dollars will also be spent wisely and thoughtfully. Which is perhaps the most valuable take away for both us and the world.
Hey Hannah!
ReplyDeleteI actually laughed out loud when I read the first few lines of your blog post because I felt like you read mind. It is incredibly intimidating to think that as a class of passionate college students, we need to decide where that money would be most effective. We have 25 heads trying to take control of 25 hearts to determine who will appreciate and take advantage of a tremendous donation. It’s really hard for me to think about the best place for the money because by weeding organizations out we are stating that the work that they do is subpar. Although it is natural in business to only make strong connections, it is hard to think that we are going to have to say that an organization, for example, that is trying to alleviate hunger in the area is not going to utilize out donation properly. Maybe this is because I tend to attack situations with a analytical eye, but after discussing the emotionally positive side of working in the non-profit or public sector, it’s hard to look down upon any organization.
Hannah, like you, I came into this class with rose-colored glasses: I hadn't ever put much thought into philanthropy in the past, and a class that allowed us to give away $10,000 seemed like a easy way test the waters of giving. I can assure you that we all forsee the obstacles to come in our decisions to come, just as you do.
ReplyDeleteYou bring up the central question of "How do we give?" along with the example of Ronald Read, a secret philanthropist. I noticed that you used the word perfect multiple times in your post, at one point mentioning that Read's method was the 'perfect form of giving.' Although you brought up a great example of an outstanding philanthropist to compare to our decisions, 'perfect' may not be the best way to evaulate how we as a class decide to act. As a 'loud 25,' it's statistically impossible that every student will agree on our final decision. During class discussions, we also tend to categorize things as black and white as much as possible. I argue that trying to look for a best or perfect way is unnecesary and idealistic for a group of our size: Instead, I recommend looking for an answer which might not be objectively best to a larger minority of students, but for one more relatable and justifiable to us all. Basically, we, as voices, must remain open minded and aim to relax our steadfast opinions in order to make a mutually satisfying philanthropic decision: Though we may have a personal idea of a best way, we need to understand that philanthropy is at its core about the whole and not the self.
Hannah, your concerns about this class are definitely felt by others. At the beginning of this class, I had thought that we, as a class, were going to somewhat easily agree on an organization to which to give our money. I thought that we could just pick one that seemed "cool" or one that had a good mission. The farther we get into this class and the more informed we become will most likely lead to the individuals in the class to gain more and more of an opinion on the matter. This will likely lead to a handful of major disagreements. People will likely take sides, and some individuals will be unlikely to change their views. I believe as we go through this process, though, we will better learn to compromise and be able to see from other people's perspectives.
ReplyDeleteAs we were going through editing the form in class and discussing the changes we liked to make, it really got me frustrated that some students were arguing for a specific change (or not to change), but they didn't tell us *why* the change was important. We as individuals must know why we make the choices we do, and we need to be able to portray those thoughts and feelings to the rest of the class. It is simply not enough to state, "I want this change because XYZ." We must also state why XYZ is important to that person as an individual and why it is important to the goals of the class as a whole. We must also not forget why we are making the choices we are making in the first place. Argument for the sake of argument will get us nowhere.
I believe that in order for us to reach any kind of consensus as a class, we MUST be able to come up with a collective mission statement of sorts. We won't be able to agree if we don't have a similar (general) goals. If we aren't willing to change our views or adopt the perspective of others, then this process will be nearly impossible.
I don't think that there is anything wrong with gaining something from giving. It is impossible to give without gaining anything because at the very least you will feel good about yourself after you help others. When you help others and gain something yourself it does not take away from what you gave to others. There isn't a finite amount of goodness in the world that will lessen if you take away from those to whom you are giving. Your post made me think of the idea of the "anonymous donor." The person who anonymously donates a large sum of money to a cause and is somehow even better because they did it anonymously. The money they gave is still the money they gave. If they get credit and get to feel good then more people get to feel good. I don't think there is anything selfish or wrong with receiving credit for your actions. Yes you are right, in a way we are being paid in college credit for our work in this class. But we could have gotten that credit for taking any number of classes, but we chose to take this one. Power to us. When given the choice we chose to do good for others, albeit while doing good for ourselves.
ReplyDeleteHannah, this is a great post and these are fantastic questions that sink in as a huge reality to our class. We will have much gridlock, very similar to a political institution. However, I have faith that we will listen to each others opinions and work out the best way to distribute the money wisely. We do need to be conscious that this is not money that we earned so the value may not feel as strong. We will not have that hard earned feeling because we have been given a gift of this large sum of money. I hope you have as much trust as Doris Buffet has in us because we are all bright students that have been accepted to Binghamton University. Also, we all chose this class which means we have some passion to assist people in need, which illustrates the common goal and a common interest. We have the education, the good intention and the knowledgeable guidance of professor Campbell who has done this for years. This project is going to be very hard, tedious and exhausting. However, at the end of this project we will be doing something wonderful, and we will have learned so much about team coordination, politics and civil engagement. I have enjoyed this class tremendously so far and I have already learned so much. The questions you ask are great questions but if we put in what we have learned, we will achieve greatness and provide grants to wonderful community organizations that need our help. Have faith in us as Dorris Buffet does and we will accomplish greatness!
ReplyDeleteGreat post!
Best,