In the beginning…
July 7, 2008
Deeds of giving are the very foundations of the world. –The Torah
Princeton’s $100 Million Climate Change
July 1, 2008
International biz whiz Gerhard R. Andlinger has given Princeton University $100 million to pump up its research on “clean-tech” solutions to the world’s soaring demand for energy.
Princeton’s new Gerhard R. Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment will feature a cutting- edge laboratory, new faculty positions, and endowed funds for research, outreach and visitors.
“The work of the center will help create a better world for our children and grandchildren, which I see as a personal as well as institutional responsibility.”
–Gerhard R. (Gerry) Andlinger, Princeton alum & Austrian native who first came to the U.S. after winning a New York Herald Tribune essay contest in 1948.
Two Ways to Help Iowa Flood Victims
June 24, 2008
Send donations, large or small, to:
The American Red Cross
Grant Wood Area Chapter
P.O. Box 10375
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52410
OR
Donate online to: The Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation Flood 2008 Fund.
Words of William
June 24, 2008
“People say it’s not ambitious, but it is actually quite ambitious wanting to help people.” –Prince William
Hearth Healthy
June 23, 2008
“Peace, like charity, begins at home.” –Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Be an Action Figure…
June 16, 2008
…for the United Way.
United Way will launch LIVE UNITED this Saturday, June 21, with the first annual United Way Day of Action. United Way will kick off its nationwide efforts to inspire individuals to give, advocate & volunteer.
Homeless Meters
May 14, 2008
San Francisco is installing old parking meters in its most panhandled areas.
All coins deposited in the bright orange meters will go to charities that help the homeless.
Read “S.F. parking meters retooled to aid homeless” at www.sfgate.com.
Giving the Doers Their Due
May 12, 2008
“I give away something up to $500 million a year throughout the world promoting Open Society. My foundations support people in the country who care about an open society. It’s their work that I’m supporting. So it’s not me doing it.”
–George Soros, billionaire speculator & founder of the Open Society Institute
Help Myanmar Now & Later
May 9, 2008
Help the American Friends Service Committee respond to the flooding in Myanmar with immediate assistance to those affected.
Committed to long-term recovery for Burmese people, the AFSC is supporting: local community groups who provide social services and Buddhist monastic schools that feed & educate children unable to afford state schools.
Go the Untied Way in May
May 8, 2008
“Go to your ATM and take out some money. How much money is entirely your business, but the sum should be sufficient for you to notice its absence. It shouldn’t hurt, but maybe it should pinch a little.
Take your money to an area of town where there are people who seek funds from passing strangers… When someone asks you for money, you give him $20. You repeat this until you are out of $20 bills…
You might expect gratitude from your clients, but you may not get it. Some of your clients may not process the denomination of the contribution, and therefore your special virtue will go unremarked. Sometimes, alas, your clients will say insulting or incomprehensible things to you. Other times, they may be overly grateful, and follow you down the street asking in stentorian tones for God to bless you. The Untied Way is not a particularly comfortable charity.
Sometimes people ask: Won’t the Untied Way clients use their money foolishly? Won’t they buy drugs or cheap booze or unsavory companionship? And the answer is: Yes, they might. Have you ever spent your money foolishly? Have you ever behaved unwisely? Untied Way clients are human beings like you.
Sometimes people ask: Are the Untied Way clients worthy of these donations? What does “worthy” mean? How much suffering would you want them to have? How much virtue do you feel is appropriate? It’s like this: You can spend your time determining the eligibility of clients, asking them to fill out questionnaires and describe what other kinds of financial assistance they are receiving, or you can give them money and move on. The second way is more efficient.
It is the assumption of the Untied Way that people on the streets who ask for money need the money. It is not an occupation that people aspire to. The people on the streets are not middle managers seeking to supplement their incomes. They need money, and you have money. Maybe they are reduced to asking for money because they made foolish choices, but again: There but for the grace of God go you.”
–Jon Carroll, San Francisco Chronicle
