I was just rereading a blog that I started a year ago when I drove across Canada.  The blog is entitled What Do We Have in Common? I wanted to re-read what I wrote because I thought there might be some elements of my journey that can be applied to the work that I am doing as a philanthropic advisor.

Photo taken outside Espanola, ON - July 2007

It seems to me, whether we are giving $1Million or $10 to charity we are modeling a certain behaviour.  Depending on how we choose to make that contribution we can engage lots of people or no-one in the action.  What I did learn from my journey was that the pursuit of happiness is at the core of Canadian kind.  That happiness is reflected in our children.  We know that we are successful by how our children turn out and that success is something that we model for them.  So, if we want our children to be charitable we have to model the actions and the processes that lead to philanthropic behaviours.

There's a quote by Carl Sagan that I have posted previously about what society would look like if we started teaching our children how to think and act like mensches (closest word I could think of was upstanding citizens) instead of bombarding them with messages on death, destruction, self-criticism and fear of the other. 

How are each of us modeling charitable behaviour, and I don't mean just giving a cheque to an agency?  Do we pass the beggar on the street without so much as an acknowledgment or do we take the time to at least smile in their direction (if we don't drop coins in the cup... a rule that I hold for my own charitable giving)?  What kind of conversation do we have with our friends and family around these issues?  Do we have those conversations?

I was out with sister Kim, and some friends last night and one woman, Andrea Silverstone the ED of Peer Support Services for Abused Women, said that she always makes sure she has change in her pocket to give to the guys who are outside her office on a daily basis.  I asked why since that was enabling a certain type of behaviour.  For her, charity isn't so much about making sure that the Drop-In Centre is functioning (though she does give to organizations like that).  Philanthropy for Andrea includes modeling behaviour for her son.  So, in addition to giving the coins to the beggar, she stops to ask how they are if there is something else she can do, she even (on occasion) acts as a referral agent for some of the shelters in the area.  When her son sees this behaviour he too will know that there is more to charity than putting coins in a cup and that he can positively influence how society will be simply by following his mother's behaviour.

Society is built upon people and their ideas.  If we all keep acting on the "ego" in us then we will be missing out on how, as a collective, we can shift the consciousness of society and bring about amazing change.

Okay - that's enough esoteric thinking for the day.  Down to practical stuff - helping people give their money away strategically!  Have a great day and thanks for reading!!!