I was eight when my father explained sharing and charity to me with a story I will never forget.
Imagine you are walking under an umbrella in the rain. You are completely covered, when you see a friend and call them over. With both of you under the umbrella, each one has a shoulder that gets wet. It’s equal, and that is sharing. Both of you continue your walk and see another friend in the rain. You call that friend over. Now three of you are under the umbrella. Each friend’s shoulder gets wet, but you are dry because you are in the middle. It looks like sharing, but you kept the best part for yourself.
My dad’s story pops into my head because too many philanthropies are akin to being in the middle of the umbrella while others get wet. Those campaigns to buy a product so that 10 or 20 percent get donated? The company makes 80-90% from your charitable donation. Also, those ‘rounding up’ campaigns where the customers donate a few cents end up being a tax write off for the sponsoring company? And then there are the billionaire foundations. They seem to do some valuable work, but they are also vehicles to dodge taxes and funnel money into large overheads and fancy offices.
Giving without the prospect of a return on the donation seems dated now, but I wish that more had heard my father’s story when they were eight.
I’m Frances Jaeger, and that is my Perspective.
