Contagious generosity is one sure way of enlarging your spirit. So I want to try a group experiment. I mentioned before that Kiva.org is one of my favourite organizations for helping people.
So here’s what I’m thinking.
I thought we could talk about how we grow generosity. I don’t mean the dollar amounts.. I just mean where and how.
- What charities do you support?
- Do you give regularly or just when there is a special plea?
- How do you come up with the money?
- What are your giving goals?
As an added incentive to hear from you, I’m going to contribute $25 to Kiva for each person who leaves a comment or a post with a trackback (so I’ll know you’re participating). Then on Monday the 9th of April we can celebrate in our accomplishment and I’ll put up a post with pictures and stories of all the people we have helped.
How cool is that?
Since I don’t have unlimited finances, I’ll max out the contribution at $500 and I’ll keep the comments open until late Sunday night. So let’s see what kind of generosity we can generate and maybe, just maybe we can help change the world. 
So today is a good day to contribute your two cents worth. Join the experiment!
SUBSCRIBE
Aside from my local church, bishop’s relief fund, my college alumin fund, and united way (who I really don’t like due to high overhead but I get my arm twisted at work), I support Homefront http://www.homefrontnj.org/ with a monthly check for a long long time.
Born out of a bunch of rich white women bringing water (in America! in New Jersey! near Princeton!) to poor women trapped by the gooferment welfare system, these women were horrified at what they saw. For anyone unlearned in the ways of gooferment, the poor women were enslaved by a system that would “give” them a handout that enabled them to “live” such as it was, but gave them no hope ever of escaping. The Princeton gals were not stupid. It didn’t take very many water runs (i.e., the welfare motel had been condemned for a toxic water supply, but the state welfare bureaucrats had no where else to put these 100 or so wretched souls. So, the Princeton women would bring drinking water to the motels from their homes.) before they were enraged.
I got involved when I introduced the chief firebrand to a package of dynamite at merrill lynch. Like throwing gasoline on a match, these two hellions started raising money and “arms” (volunteers) at Merrill and among Merrill’s local wealthy.
Homefront has become a gateway out of the cycle of poverty. They have several levels of involvement with the poor and help those people pull themselves out of the clutches of the NJ welfare bureacracy. It my pleasure to help them help people. (A few years ago, I pandered dentists to donate dental care to these indigents very successfully. It’s hard to get a job when an abusive spouse has knocked out all your teeth. And the gooferment thinks that’s cosmetic?)
The fact that the NJ Welfare Establishment is irritated, annoyed, and down-right hostile is merely a cherry on my cake. I used it as an example of what happens when the gooferment is allowed to take over the “charity industry”. People get hurt. Perhaps even die of the neglect. Charity is personal. And, these Princeton women are a force to be reckoned with.
I’m not good at writing checks or paying bills. So, I put everything on auto pilot as much as possible. My source is my paycheck. Unlike the Federal Reserve Bank (which is NOT “federal”, a “reserve” of anything, nor a “bank”), I can’t print money. I have to just earn it the old fashioned way. My giving goals are that when I die at Final Judgment, the fellow at the check in desk says “well I see all the bad things you’ve done. but they pale in comparison to the good. anyway, the boss says you get a pass to paradise”.
Seriously, I have no goals other than to help people. Very unstructured! Very hippie like. See a need and fill it. (I have a “charity checkbook”, where — surprisingly — I make an automatic deposit from my real checkbook. When I hear of a sad tale, where someone has met misfortune, thru no fault of their own, I write a check. No fan fare. No tax deduction. No records. The checks don’t even have my name on them. No need for people to thank me; so there’s no way for them to find me to thank me. (Guess they could go to the bank!) — And no pain because the money was already “spent” when it left my real checking account. I use the checking account system so that I actually do give away that amount of money and it’s less painful for me to actually spend it. I used to use money orders. I’d have a few already in my desk at work in various odd amounts from 5$ to 100$, an envelope, and a stamp — instant charity.
Yeah, I know I’m weird.
Posted by reinkefj on April 6th, 2007.
Reinkefj, I really like your idea of keeping a charity checking account. HomefrontNJ.org looks like a very worthwhile organization. Keep it up.
Since you left a comment telling your story, I just made a $25 loan to an entrepreneur named Meddy Semanobe in Uganda through kiva.org. You can see information about Meddy at this link
Thanks for stopping in. Hope to talk to you again.
Posted by Dave on April 6th, 2007.
I’m sorry. I’d already contributed to http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=6398
and to Ryan’s Well.
Those are my two favorites.
I also contribute to the Wheel Chair Sports Association and the MS Society, here at home. Plus various others whenever I am able.
Namaste, Thea
Posted by Thea Westra on April 7th, 2007.
Thea, I’m really glad to hear you’re already supporting Kiva. Since you’ve participated in this experiment, I just made a loan to an entrepreneur named Thon Phai in Cambodia. You can see the details here. Thanks for joining in.
Posted by Dave on April 7th, 2007.
Dave,
I love your creativity
Posted by Liz Strauss on April 7th, 2007.
Well thank you Liz.
And even though your comment doesn’t quite meet the requirements, I’ve just made a loan to an entrepreneur named Victoria Ackucha in Ghana. You can see how you’re helping helping Victoria at this link. It’s always a pleasure to have you drop by Liz.
Posted by Dave on April 7th, 2007.
Great post and great idea Dave!
I try to give money to some organizations from time to time (world wildlife foundation, peta and others). I try to give as often as i can, but sometimes finances are kinda limited, but when i have some money, well instead of spending it on useless stuff i’ll give it to charity, some needs it more than i do! I also talk about this and this organization really often, to friends and family, and actually got some to donate too, feels good!
One goal of mine is to eventually be able to give the same amount every month to charity, instead of $20-$40 here and there, i’d like to have the finances to give more like $100-$150 every month! I’m working on that!
Posted by Jonathan-C. Phillips on April 7th, 2007.
Jonathan, I imagine that’s one of the reasons you want to get smartwealthyrich!
Keep at it, you’ll get there. My goal is to increase the percentage of my income that I give away every year. So since you participated in the experiment, I just made a loan to an entrepreneur named Tolumaanave Susana Shephard in Samoa. You can check out the details right here. Thanks for joining in.
Posted by Dave on April 7th, 2007.
That’s awesome Dave! I’ll write about Kiva on my blog tomorrow! You’re right, that’s one of the reasons i want to get smartwealthyrich! hehe
Posted by Jonathan-C. Phillips on April 7th, 2007.
Thanks Jonathan. If you wouldn’t mind linking back here, I want to get as many people involved as possible. If it works for you.
Posted by Dave on April 7th, 2007.
Of course!
is the deadline still the 9th of April? I’ll try to get the word out as much as possible
Posted by Jonathan-C. Phillips on April 7th, 2007.
I’m going to close comments late on Sunday night so that’s the 8th I think. Obviously that will be open to some leeway depending on how many people are participating. What’s the last time zone in the world to hit midnight on Sunday, April the 8th?
Posted by Dave on April 7th, 2007.
Ok cool, i’ll post that tomorrow morning (off to bed now, it’s 3am). I found this site, maybe it can surely be useful to find what is the last timezone to hit midnight tomorrow: http://www.worldtimezone.com but i can’t look at that map right now, my eyes are burning!
Tomorrow! Take care!
Posted by Jonathan-C. Phillips on April 7th, 2007.
[...] pretty simple, go to Daves’ blog and read his post titled “Today is do something for someone else day!“, and simply post a comment or link to Daves’ post on your blog. Dave will give lend [...]
Posted by Will You Help Us? at SmartWealthyRich .com on April 8th, 2007.