The Responsibilty of The Fortunate

[usernamenumber]

(I feel like this post isn't quite polished yet, but I've been working on it for days and have read, re-read and tweaked it a gajillion times, stressing myself out in the process. I think now it's time for me to go ahead and put it out there, if only so I can go to bed. It's long but it's personal and I think it's important. It's also something I might want to spread further once I've gotten some feedback, so I hope people can take the time to read it)

An old friend of mine is visiting after a couple of weeks at the Occupy Wall Street event. Anyone who follows me on Twitter knows that I have... mixed feelings about OWS, but those are for another post. Suffice it to say, my friend and I have been having some very engaging and provocative (but civil) conversations on the subject, and while I have my misgivings about its organization and approach, I agree (of course) that there are some fundamental problems with the way our society interfaces with money, and that I would like to see change. If you have not been reading We Are The 99%, stop reading this, read that, and be upset about it.

It got me thinking a lot about "ok, what can I do?", which leads me to this post.

Before I go on, I need to explain why what I'm going to write about here is kind of uncomfortable for me. This post is, in part, about philanthropy. Specifically, philanthropy in which I'm involved. I believe that acts of charity should be done discretely, and that the act is sullied if one broadcasts one's actions, giving the impression of doing it for reputation rather than to help for helping's sake. In addition, I tend to be very self-conscious around issues involving money generally, and have a lot of my own issues wrapped up in same. For these reasons I've talked to almost no one about a project in which I've been involved for years, but now I wonder if it might be better to be more open about it and my motivations, so this post is a sort of coming out about that project.

For the last three years I've given 10% of my income (less taxes) every month to causes I think/hope are helping to make the world a better place. I do this because I believe that I, along with most in my situation, owe what success I've had in part to the dumb luck of circumstance, that we are all in this together, and that we owe it to one another to do what we can to even the playing field, even if only a little*. I believe the old notion (which I don't expect many on my flist to espouse, but I've been thinking more globally) that the prosperous are so only by virtue of being more ambitious or making better choices is poisonous in its lack of perspective.

I'm not fabulously wealthy, but I make enough to be putting a decent amount into savings each month, and that's enough more than so many equally talented, creative, and wonderful people I know, not to mention millions I don't know, that it bothers me, because I'm aware that it is in part just the flip of a coin that separates my circumstances and theirs.

In part. Have I worked hard? Of course I have, and that's important, and I'm very proud of it. This isn't about devaluing effort and ambition, nor excusing a lack thereof, but acknowledging that what my effort has allowed me to do is make the most of advantages I've had, like parents who had the will and financial ability to help me go to college without incurring boatloads of debt, interests and aptitudes that lend themselves to a field that is both valuable and lucrative, and plain old fortunate timing. If I'd been graduating college with self-taught Linux and coding experience and a degree in philosophy now instead of in the middle of the .com boom, I would probably be screwed-- instead I ended up with an $18/hr internship at Cisco that I got by happening to call the guy who was hiring for it about a room he was renting. These are not things I did, they are things I got, and then worked to make the most of. When I acknowledge this to myself, I conclude that my prosperity is not entirely my own, and feel compelled to give something back, so I started doing this "secular tithe"**.

The reason I'm writing about this now is the realization that maybe a small thing I can do is to be more pubic about this project and the beliefs behind it. I don't want to make it sound like I think I'm the first person to think this way, that I expect this to make everything better, or that it's comparable to being involved in more direct ways, but if enough others do it and say they're doing it, maybe it becomes something: a popular movement to decide to view prosperity, and the attainment of same, differently, to acknowledge that there's not as much difference between us as we've been told, and to choose to distribute prosperity. There's nothing wrong with a comfortable life, but if you are fortunate enough to have excess for savings, consider: would the work you've done to get where you are have yielded the same results if you'd been born to different parents, with a different personality, a less healthy body, a few years later, or a few towns over? What about halfway around the world? And if you swapped places with that hypothetical other you, wouldn't you be better off if whoever inherited your circumstances gave something back? Consider also, what would you lose by committing 10%, or even 5%, of what you make to regular support for charities and activist organizations working toward changes you want to see? I'm single with no kids, supporting only myself, which means this is the perfect time in my life for this project. Giving 10% back means it will take me a bit longer to save up for a house. I can totally deal with that.

If you agree and are one of the fortunate, consider adapting this project for yourself and being a patron of change. If you already do so, say so. Let it be known. Advocate.

If you agree but have more time than money, Charity Navigator has a search feature that can help you find local charities and Idealist.org has similar features for finding activist causes. How much change could be brought about by the energy of things like Occupy $LOCATION being put into focused volunteerism and activism?

If you agree but have neither time nor money in excess, and I know the majority of the people on my flist probably fall into this category, remember this idea if/when things change for you.

If you don't agree, feel free to comment or email. I'm still figuring out how best to articulate and act upon these beliefs, and would welcome discussion.

I know I'm not the only one who thinks this way, and maybe I'm not the only one doing a project like this. Maybe lots of people do it (or would do it if they could) but aren't saying anything, so we all assume it's a strange thing. I would love to find that this idea is not strange, and if it is, I want to work toward a world in which it isn't.

* = If you'll excuse the tangent, I'm sometimes saddened by the perception that atheists aren't as or more devoted to charity than religious people (and maybe that's just a stereotype anyway, I guess I don't really know). After all, we're the ones who believe that you only get the one life, and that all we have is each other. That's precious; far too precious to justify indifference toward those who would work to live differently if they could. I'm not against personal responsibility for making bad choices, but there should always be a way out, and I want my good fortune to facilitate the work of organizations that provide ways out (and ways to avoid getting in).

** = It should be noted that I take this idea from my LDS upbringing, though in Mormonism you give 10% of your income (before taxes) directly to the church.

Comments

[shinyquill.livejournal.com]

Well, since you're asking...while I am fairly secular, one of the elements of Judaism I still try to practice is tzedakah, which is similar to "charity" but literally comes from a Hebrew word for "fairness." According to the Reform education I had, one is required to give at least 10% of one's income to others in need - regardless of one's socioeconomic status or anything else. However, those who are not extremely wealthy are forbidden from designating more than 30% of what they make tzedakah - we should benefit from our hard work and care for ourselves, too. I have not had a paycheck in quite a while, but when I do I'll keep observing tzedakah as usual.

Also, I personally prefer the framing of "doing something about economic injustice is the obligation of tzedakah, of maintaining fairness" over models like philanthropy and charity, where giving others things or money is a specially virtuous and voluntary act.

[usernamenumber.livejournal.com]

Thank you, I did not know about tzedakah, and am glad I do now.

I tend to agree with you about phrasing (note that I use the term "responsibility" in the title), though I do shy away from the idea of enforcing such responsibility. I would rather it be voluntary but seen as a normal and expected act, not a gesture of some exceptional virtue. Fear of looking like I was trying to portray my actions as the latter is one of the main reasons I never said anything about this until now.

[redfishie.livejournal.com]

I was very much brought up with the idea that you give your time, not your money - Money can be mismanaged once its out of your sight, but your time its much easier to know where its going. (This may be somewhat be reinforced by being in NJ during a huge United Way embezzlement scandal when I was a kid).

If you can trust the charities you're giving to and have more available money than time, that's great, then give money...but know where and how that money is used. Check the percentage of every dollar that goes to the end user - the people in need (aka how much goes into operating costs).

Needless to say, its a good thing to do, and I'm glad you posted this...

[ultimatepsi.livejournal.com]

Charity Navigator is designed specifically to address your very sensible concerns about giving money. I second usernamenumber's recommendation of it.

[redfishie.livejournal.com]

The internet has made that sort of thing much easier...I was mostly remembering back to when I was younger before the interwebs were widespread and information was harder to reach.

I also still have latent suspicions over what gets classified in what boxes due to how that can be mismanaged, but I know regulations have gotten tighter on that as well.

Thank you for the second recommendation on the link.
I'll check out the link when I have more readily available money to give...though I'm still more prone to volunteer than give money.

[usernamenumber.livejournal.com]

In addition to what ultimatepsi points out, another good way to give money with some measure of quantifiable quality control is microlending. I have a total of $140 in the Kiva.org system, which has been lent, repaid, and re-lent to total around $650 worth of loans in about 15 countries. They track repayment stats for you, and my delinquency rate is 4%, and my default rate is 0%. By and large these are just honest people looking for help building and maintaining small businesses for their livelihoods, and its nice to be able to see that in practice.

[beetiger.livejournal.com]

I am a big fan of Kiva. It can even work as savings, in the grand scheme of things, as you can generally get your money back within a year when you wanted it. The Fandom team has 100 member and has cycled through about $36 K of loans in the last few years.

[usernamenumber.livejournal.com]

Wow, that's great! :)

[ultimatepsi.livejournal.com]

Thank you for this post.

I give a considerable amount to charity, but I don't think that charitable giving is going to solve the problems that the OWS people are complaining about. The math just doesn't work out. Consider education: paying off one person's student loans cost $50,000. That same amount of money could pay for the operations of seven primary schools in Zambia for a year. I, and I think any mathematically literate, good intentioned, and globally minded individual, would rather give to the latter cause.

[usernamenumber.livejournal.com]

You're right, both that most charities do not directly help the 99% and that that is probably appropriate.

But I would argue that funding activism for systemic change can help those problems, as can (I perhaps naively hope) the popularization of the notion that one's prosperity is not entirely one's own, and that there is a moral imperative to put some of its fruits back out there, in part by way of such activism (though truth be told I've yet to find the right activist org, so most of my current portfolio is charities).

That actually brings me to one of my misgivings about this post (I've been waffling about taking it down since I posted it-- if it disappears, this is why). I am not surprised in the slightest thst many of my friends think this way and give considerably, and I'm afraid that the tone of my post is going to come across as patronizing or "look at my radical new outlook on things!", when deep down I know it's not (just edited the post to address that more explicitly, though).

While I meant and mean everything in this post, the more I cool down after having posted it, the more I think it was born of an impulse to say/do something than hope that it would actually affect change. So now I'm not so sure it's worthwhile. Hrmm...

Also, I appear to have descended into navel-gazing. Thoughts welcome, though.

[ultimatepsi.livejournal.com]

I wish I believed that funding activism could lead to positive systemic change, but give the complexities of systems and the difficulty, even smart well-educated people have predicting systematic effects, I don't feel capable of that belief. Sadly, this often leads to me be depressed that I can't help more.

Basically, I sympathize with you.

[faerieboots.livejournal.com]

I think I have more to say about this than can easily fit into a livejournal comment discussion. You and I should talk about this more directly at some point.

That being said, I'm glad you posted this, and I do think it was a good idea to post links for groups that help you navigate giving to charities.

I WILL note here, though, that I don't see this post and OWS as being particularly related.

[usernamenumber.livejournal.com]

You're right about the OWS, and ultimatepsi points out something similar. I'll just cut/paste from my response to her (and of course I would welcome adding this to the ever-growing list of things we should talk more about ;):

You're right, both that most charities do not directly help the 99% and that that is probably appropriate.

But I would argue that funding activism for systemic change can help those problems, as can (I perhaps naively hope) the popularization of the notion that one's prosperity is not entirely one's own, and that there is a moral imperative to put some of its fruits back out there, in part by way of such activism (though truth be told I've yet to find the right activist org, so most of my current portfolio is charities).

[faerieboots.livejournal.com]

Oh man, I hope you are keeping closer track of that list than I am; I have a mind like a sieve.

I did see what you posted to ultimatepsi, after I posted my own comment. While I think you are correct that funding activism can bring about social change, I do think there is a danger in equating activism with charity and vice versa. Social activist groups generally have extremely different goals from charity organizations, and they also have extremely different methods of achieving these goals. I'm just sayin', giving money to, say, the Red Cross is very fundamentally different from giving money to MovingOn.org or the Human Rights Campaign or NAACP.

[usernamenumber.livejournal.com]

Absolutely. I think both are important, and tried to be inclusive of both in my post, though in retrospect I think my initial use of the term 'philanthropy' obscured that.

[beetiger.livejournal.com]

This is actually an ongoing discussion in our household. We have a yearly budget for donations, and talk a lot about balancing donations between direct service charitable organizations, lobbying organizations, and activist organizations that aren't primarily lobbyists.

[usernamenumber.livejournal.com]

Is there are particular policy on which you've landed for this?

[lisefrac.livejournal.com]

If your question boils down to, "Do you give to charity?" then yes, I do. But not a set percent. I give to my UU church, Mass Audubon, Vassar (my alma mater), and a few other needs as crop up. I've always been drawn to the concept of tithing, secular or no, but it's something I've never been able to commit to. Part of that is that Matt doesn't really share my conviction, or rather, probably feels like we can't afford that 10% (or 5%, or whatever).

I think a lot of people--even religious people who belong to dedicated churches--do tithing the way you do. I read an article on a blog called Experimental Theology (which I'll be discussing at some point on my LJ - it's a fascinating blog) recently where he talks about this, in fact--how it's become rarer, at least in the church he was writing from (UCC), that all of that 10% goes directly to the church. The author noted that he gives about half of his tithe directly to his church, but distributes the other half at his discretion. In part he attributes this to churches no longer being central distribution points for charity (or at least the perception of that).

[usernamenumber.livejournal.com]

Even when I was (trying to be) a devout member of my church, I was never comfortable with that sort of tithing, so I can relate to this person. Some of the money would go to charitable services, but my perception was that more went to things like building temples and keeping same sex couples from being able to marry. :\

I look forward to your post.

[lillibet.livejournal.com]

Three comments in one!

- Kevin Spacey is running a contest for independent filmmakers and mentioned being inspired by (I think it was) Jack Lemmon once telling him "When you get to the top, send the elevator back down." That is, if you're doing well from the opportunities you've had, work to create opportunities for others. I find this a very attractive and catchy way of thinking about this concept.

- I don't talk much about the money we give--not because I fear sounding smug or virtuous, but because part of my culture is a very strong taboo about discussing money, period. We do give generously, both through the UU and individually. One thing that our parish is doing that I think is very cool: Last year, before we joined, they decided to try giving 25% of the Sunday plate to a designated charity each month. It was so successful that this year they raised that to 50% of the plate. They take suggestions from the congregation for recipients and have increased charitable contributions by the church significantly as a result of this project.

I do talk about the volunteer work that I do. Specifically, I try to post annually about reading for Learning Ally (formerly Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic). I think part of why I feel more comfortable discussing that is that it's really fun for me, an opportunity that happens to benefit other people, rather than something that feels like work. I talk less specifically about the fact that I devote a great deal of my time to running Theatre@First, building and nurturing that community, providing and promoting performing arts in the community. I mean, I think everyone I know understands that I do that, but it's not clear to me that people perceive it as volunteerism benefiting the community, rather than simply something I like to do, which it also is. I feel extremely fortunate to be able to devote my life to things that I love.

- Lastly, I would love to hear you talk about your LDS upbringing. That's a subject that pops up in my life and thinking and I'd really appreciate the opportunity to hear your thoughts on the experience and the more general subject of the LDS.

[usernamenumber.livejournal.com]

Anything in particular? Feel free to ask here, email, or grab me in person some time. Whatever you'd prefer.

[lillibet.livejournal.com]

My questions tend to be very general: what was that like? what did you like about it? what caused your separation from the LDS? how does that affect your relationship with your family? what are your thoughts about the growing political power of the LDS? what are your feelings about other religions and about faith as a general phenomenon?

If you feel like typing, I'm happy to read, or we can take it up in person sometime.

[mirrored-echo.livejournal.com]

Seconding the comment about tzedakah -- and the 10% figure. It's not that exact for me, though; I tend to give more (as, I think, people in general tend to do) after a natural disaster or other crisis. I also tend to mentally lump Kickstarter donations and the like in with charitable donations, which is probably not correct. And I do pro bono work, which I don't think is that uncommon (particularly among people who are likely to read this).

Personally, I wish I were able to volunteer more, even if that meant I would not have the means to donate as much. This is mostly for selfish reasons (volunteering "feels" better than throwing money at even an admirable cause; you get more personally involved; etc.) But...volunteer jobs tend to involve weekdays during the day, which is problematic when you're working full time.

[how-low-am-i.livejournal.com]

I like the idea of charity/tzedakah being discrete because I find it offensive when people donate in a way that makes them think of themselves as having means. My boss wants to bring board members on our alternative break trips and I told them I think that would make the students feel like they were charity cases because they'd have to be overly nice and grovel at their feet.

I think it's important for fundraising, obviously, and appreciated your donation when I did the Relay for Life in honor of my cousin. And I'll never forget you did that. :)

But I also think charity/tzedakah isn't enough and in some cases can make problems worse. "Well I already GAVE $ this year" can be a common phrase and sometimes people make it take the place of donating their time or changing policy. Donating $ to a soup kitchen will buy the hungry food but it won't solve poverty.

So I think we need to do both--feed the hungry and find them permanent shelters. And sometimes I think changing policies and volunteering (or working in the field) can be more productive than giving money--or at least put yourself in a position of understanding "The Other" better. It forces you to see the problems instead of just giving money to them without seeing the results.

Another example of this is you can give all the money to an environmental organization but if the people in town you live in don't recycle and you don't help them realize that this is an issue, then how can you expect that money to be effective?

Anyway, food for thought.

[londo.livejournal.com]

I've been trying to find a suitable charity or three ever since I got a Real Job, and I find your links extremely helpful.

I have difficulty getting behind the "We are the 99%" movement when we, as Americans, are still collectively the world's 1%.

[usernamenumber.livejournal.com]

Its for that reason that my "portfolio", as it were, has more international orgs in it than local ones. Here are a few selections:

Local Aid:
The Greater Boston Food Bank - Exactly what it sounds like.
ABCD - Local anti-poverty programs like career development, childcare, gas stipends, etc.
Second Nature - Advocating the integration of sustainability principles into higher ed operations and curricula.

Worldwide Aid:
Mercy Ships - An overtly christian, borderline evangelical organization, which makes me uncomfortable, but also one that is doing something unique. They've bought two cruise ships and turned them into state of the art hospitals, which they then sail to parts of Africa that would otherwise be hundreds of miles from such facilities.
Doctors Without Borders - I'm pretty sure you know who they are
Heifer International - Helping the rural poor worldwide become self-sustaining

And of course Kiva.org (described in other comments if you are not familiar with them).

[londo.livejournal.com]

I found this to be interesting reading last year: http://blogs.cgdev.org/open_book/

[real-green-tea.livejournal.com]

Thank you for sharing your experiences as related to giving back to organizations you care about and your motivations toward those ends. You raise a lot of valid points -- is there more, as individuals that any/every one could be doing? How is this linked to being the change we want to see in the world? What is the role of monetary versus other types of contributions? How are we helping to solve another's problems -- and are they actually 'other' at all, save it for fate or some other twists and turns?

If I understand correctly, your motivation for writing about this type of giving is your way of paying it forward. I think that's interesting and, actually, pretty great. Three years is a decent chunk of time to keep at something discreetly -- time to make known your contributions are intentional, and 'here's why'. I can appreciate and respect that.

[real-green-tea.livejournal.com]

Un/related?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pflMP5Q13vY&feature=player_embedded
(A Rosh Hashana video)

[dot_fennel]

I have a lot of thoughts about this that are in no shape for posting, but I wanted to point you to some posts a friend made on her blog:

http://www.effectivism.net/2010/06/evaluating-charities-part-i/
http://www.effectivism.net/2010/12/evaluating-charities-part-ii/

("Here's what's imperfect about Charity Navigator" is pretty much the first concrete info she gives, but I'm totally not posting this to criticize you for linking to them-- the rest of her research seemed interesting and relevant.)

[dot_fennel]

(And now I'm worried that "point you to" is a weirdly peremptory wording. I just wanted to share the links!)