Loretta

Our first full week of classes has just ended, and I have begun to get a better grip on the concept of philanthropy. We know that we will receive $10,000, we know that we will be giving it away, and we know will be involved in the philanthropic process. But what is philanthropy? What does it really means? As a class, this week we began to delve into these topics.

We analyzed a reading called, “True and False Philanthropy.” We discussed if there is such a thing as true philanthropy versus false philanthropy. Is it better to give to the world or just to your own community? There were many different opinions on this issue. Some felt that giving to your own community was better because you would be more involved in the process. Sometimes that is very hard to do on a large scale because it is much easier to lose track of where your money goes. At the same time, we must not forget the people in the world who are in need. The tragedy in Haiti was mentioned. Haiti would not be considered as part of our community, but they are dependent on U.S help. We talked about what it would it be happen if the US just focused helping those within its borders.

We read two case studies. We learned that it is important for an organization to have a concrete plan with measurable results. Just because we agree in helping a cause does not mean we should jump to donate money. It is best for our money to be used most efficiently, and the best way to do that is with a plan we accept and approve. We also discussed whether it is better to give money as one gift or if the money should be split into smaller gifts. As a class we decided it would be more effective to give one large gift because in that we would be able to make a greater difference.

Later in the week, we looked at history and philanthropy. We read about some of the first philanthropists such as Benjamin Franklin, Cotton Mather, and John Winthrop. There was criticism of Franklin in the way he left money for apprentices after his death. Some argued it was better to give while you are alive because you would be able to see results and be involved in the process. Some believe that some issues are long term and one cannot simple give all one’s money when they are alive because it is better to give in a way that is sustainable.