Recently, Mark Zuckerberg publicly announced his decision to give away 99% of his Facebook shares to charity. His decision aligns him with several other significantly wealthy individuals who have decided to do the same: Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, Richard Branson, Michael Bloomberg, Ted Turner, and others.
And their decision aligns them with countless wealthy individuals who have done similar things in the past. “A man who dies rich, dies disgraced,” Andrew Carnegie once said while giving away 90% of his personal fortune (almost $14b in today’s dollars).
I think these stories are important and I am glad they make national headlines. Some will try to discredit them or argue ulterior motives, but I don’t care. The more examples of generosity around us the better.
I will admit, however, there is one problem with these headline stories.
They are almost completely unrelatable.
When most people read about billionaires giving away money, their first reaction is typically, “Well that’s easy for them to say… if I had that kind of money, I would be generous too.”
And to an extent, they are right. When you begin talking about net worth in the billions of dollars, things seem to function a bit differently. For example, it was Neil deGrasse Tyson who first conjectured that, comparatively speaking, Bill Gates would have to stumble across $45,000 on the ground to discover the same amount in relation to his net worth that you or I would discover if we found a quarter ($0.25).
Of course, mathematics and emotions can be very different. Just because somebody has a vast amount of wealth, generosity does not necessarily come easy. In fact, some studies would seem to indicate that the more money we own, the more difficult it is to give away.
But nevertheless, “That’s easy for him to say,” is still the most common reaction to news stories similar to the one of Mark Zuckerberg. As a result, even though those stories are shared widely, they often leave us unchanged. How many people do you know went out and made a donation to charity after reading Mark Zuckerberg was giving away 99% of his wealth? Probably the same number as me: zero.
In other words, Mark’s story actually does very little to inspire generosity among a society.
But I think this might change if we start championing different stories.
For the past several years, I have been traveling this country speaking on the benefits of owning less. And I have met some amazing people along the way. Recently, I am being asked more and more often to speak about our new nonprofit organization, The Hope Effect. And whenever I do, something amazing happens… people begin sharing with me their personal stories of generous living.
People are quick to open up about the charities they passionately support. They share with me the experiences they have had volunteering at various organizations here and abroad. Many will come up to me afterwards and explain how and why they chose nonprofit work as their career. It is encouraging, it is amazing, and it is inspiring.
In fact, during an interview a few weeks back, I was asked, “What has been the greatest lesson you have learned starting a nonprofit?” Among the dozens of ideas that came to my mind, I answered with this one, “By far, the greatest thing I have learned over the past year is that there are generous, giving people everywhere you look. I have met so many people who are passionately committed to the care of orphans and other important causes, I almost can’t believe it. Everywhere I go, I meet people making sacrifices so they can live passionately generous lives.”
Unfortunately, nobody is talking about them—at least, they aren’t making national headlines. And I know why: their stories don’t convert to metrics like Mark Zuckerberg’s story.
A column about the adoptive mother in Minneapolis who dedicates two evenings/month serving on a nonprofit board placing orphans in loving homes doesn’t sell many newspapers. The full-time blogger in Nashville who fathers a family of three and makes a $5,000 donation to a cause he believes in doesn’t trend on Twitter. The middle-class family who gives away 10% of their income every week to an organization they trust doesn’t drive much Internet traffic.
But these are the stories that need to be told. Because these are the stories we can see ourselves in. These are the people with whom we can relate. And these are the people that can inspire us the most.
They have sacrificed in order to have time and money to give. And their stories challenge us to do the same. Unfortunately, the stories we need to hear are often the hardest to find.
I think we should try to change that.
During this season of giving, I think it is appropriate for us to recognize the people in our lives that have inspired generosity in us.
When you think of a generous person, who comes to your mind first? In the comment section below, would you draw attention to that certain somebody?
Comment and mention specifically the one person (or the one family) who has inspired you the most to greater generosity? My guess is, when you do, very few will mention celebrities or philanthropists. Instead, we will think of family members, neighbors, co-workers, or members of our faith community.
When you add your comment below, their stories will live on and their example will inspire even more individuals.
Practically speaking, I encourage you to be as specific as possible. Who has inspired you to generosity? Why? To what causes were they generous? What sacrifices did you see them make so they could give more? And in what ways did you see them dedicate themselves to others?
Their story may never be published in a major magazine. But today, you can champion it for us—because these are the stories we need to hear.
Laura says
My daughter, Gemma, aged seven. When she was five years old she made the decision to donate money to a turtle rescue organisation for her sixth birthday, rather than receive gifts from her friends. Her wonderful friends donated very generously (and she added in her tooth fairy money!) and she raised a lot of money for a cause that she feels passionately about.
Susan says
My late Ma-her generosity of spirit was second to none. ♥ U Ma!
My high school BFF’s Mom, Nancy-she never yelled at her kids or held unrealistic expectations (like,” Be home by the stroke of ten or else you’re grounded for life,” lol); she was the first-and only-parent I knew that actually talked with her preteens and set reasonable respectful rules TOGETHER.
It shaped my parenting as an adult, and I’ll always be grateful for that. TA, Mrs. Repetti!
My late husband-He truly taught me the meaning of unconditional love. Dazzy-you rock. Kisses, Wifey.
My BFF-her generosity, both in deed and cash, allowed me
( as a single mom working two jobs) to go to college, change my career path, and ultimately live in a way that I would have never dreamed. Thanks, Kath X 100,000,00!
Judy says
My friend Tracie fosters homeless dogs until they are able to be placed. I admire her for all her hard work and dedication. It isn’t easy :)
kellen says
It’s not a secret that the “giveaways” the wealthy folks are doing is first and foremost a tax haven for them, and also a way to generate more income through their charity orgs. Entire articles have been written detailing the actual situation with Zuckerberg’s dough. They’ve set up a trust for their kid which means the money stays in the family. As it is, Zuckerberg pays almost no tax anyway because of the loopholes given to the wealthy by the capitalist class.
Admiration of bourgeois wealth is offensive and an apology for capitalism.
joshua becker says
Thanks for the feedback Kellen. I did include a link in the article to the critics who assert Mark’s decision is less generous then it sounds on the surface.
However, I would be quick to point out that there are far stricter tax laws in place than most of those critics would admit. For Mark to receive the tax benefits, he does give up significant control over how that money is actually spent. There are very specific guidelines concerning foundations established and maintained by an individual—precisely so that the system can not be used as you mention.
Marina says
I’m so happy someone finally said it, Kellen. Zuckerberg avoided the tax and the money stays in the family. I wish people weren’t so naive to believe he’s doing it out of the goodness of his heart.
While I love this blog and read it almost daily, this is the one post I don’t agree with. Otherwise, it’s my favorite blog to read Josh so thanks for writing it.
Al says
Wait a sec…Zuckerberg actually donated? I thought that was just a Facebook hoax going around so I didn’t comment, like or share it with 10 friends. Darn, I could have been, like, a hundred-aire or something!
Sam says
My mother is the kindest and most generous person I know and may ever know. For the last 5 years she has given away a quarter of her paycheck to a local school for special needs. What a Legend!
DKFM says
We live close to the central registration office for refugees in Berlin, Germany. My partner recently just sent an e-mail to IKEA asking whether they were willing to donate some more teddy bears in addition to the ones we had already bought for refugee children as a small christmas present. She ended up convincing them to donate 360 bears, so all in all 410 refugee children could have a teddy bear for christmas. And friends of mine chipped in to donate some money in September this year, also to an organisation taking care of refugees.
Cheryl Smith says
Without a moment’s hesitation, I can tell you that the two people who most influenced my benevolent nature were my precious Mom and Dad. No, you will never see their names on any headlines, but they were the two most giving people I have ever known. I was raised poor, we didn’t have many material possessions, but my Daddy would literally give someone the shirt right off his back, if they needed it. He could not turn down anyone who came to him for help. He was quite discerning and could sense when someone was trying to scam him, but it never diminished his desire and determination to help others anyway. He and Mom would often take me to visit those who were sick and those who others didn’t want to be around. There was no job too lowly for my Dad. He helped everyone. I can still see him standing over the bedside of a brother in the Lord who was dying from some sort of throat disorder…Dad stood there and tended to his very unpleasant needs without flinching, and I can see him carrying a basin of water to an elderly man’s chair and bending down taking care of his afflicted feet, without a word of complaint. I could name many, many situations and instances where Mom and Dad sacrificed their own needs in order to make sure the needs of others were met. They were undoubtedly the two most selfless people ever, and their constant giving left a permanent mark upon me and made me long to be the same way. My husband and I now do our utmost to instill this same quality into the heart of our son. I can’t tell you how thrilled I was the other day when he and my husband came home from the store and told me he had felt led by God to buy an elderly lady’s groceries! He LOVES to give, and it just blesses me so much to see that he is a lot like my Daddy, even though he never got to meet him. Mom and Dad may never have received any accolades here on earth for the selfless, giving lives they lived…but, bless God, they are reaping a great reward in Heaven. I miss them so much! I will never forget the lessons they taught me, and I am determined to live my life the same way they did and meet them in Heaven one day, by God’s grace. Thanks for letting me spotlight them here. Wish you could have known them, you would have loved them.
Marissa says
At a dog adoption nonprofit in my town, Janie, the leader of the non profit, and Diane, a volunteer of the nonprofit, clean all of the dog cages each day of the week so all of the doggies can have a clean home. I used to watch the dogs for them while they cleaned the cages one day a week, but I’m taking a break from that for now because of my overwhelmed schedule. But they all work hard so the dogs will be happy each and every day. Also, my mom and all of the other volunteers who help run the nonprofit’s thrift store. They come in every day to make sure they will be able to earn enough money to help take care of the dogs. It’s hard work and they need more volunteers, but they manage to make it all work even now. They’re all really awesome. C:
Christian Celada says
My aunt, Carmelita de los Santos, who lives on US now continues to support my family here in the Philippines. She’s our champion of generosity and selfless giving even if it hurts her in many ways. It’s really in her character and core to give and sacrifice that started with her time here in the Philippines. I learned a lot from her. She would spend time and money helping her poor relatives get back on their feet even if she has little money. Her life in US turns out to continue her selfless sacrifices she started here in Manila. She may not be able to see this but I’m letting the world know in honor of her generosity and big capacity to love.
IBikeNYC says
My landlady, Mary Ann, whom I adore!
She has been an ANGEL countless times over the nearly twelve years I’ve lived here!