Philanthrocapitalism_ How Giving Can Save the World - Matthew Bishop [90]
The example of how much money we could give also applies to gifts of time, skills, things, reconciliation, and new beginnings. If we just all gave according to our ability, the positive impact would be staggering. I hope this book has given you a better idea of the options available for effective giving. In America, many of us are besieged by more requests for help than we can grant. All of us have to decide among competing claims on our time and money. Do we concentrate our resources on one project or spread them around? That is a choice that only you can make. But first you have to decide whether, and how much, to give.
Why do some people give so much while others give the bare minimum or not at all? I’ve thought about this a lot, and it seems to me we all give for a combination of reasons, rooted in what we think about the world in which we live and what we think about ourselves. We give because we think it will help people today or give our children a better future; because we feel morally obligated to do so out of religious or ethical convictions; because someone we know and respect asked us; or because we find it more rewarding and more enjoyable than spending more money on material possessions or more time on recreation or work.
When people don’t give, I think the reasons are simply the reverse. They don’t believe what they could do would make a difference, either because their resources are limited or they’re convinced efforts to change other people’s lives and conditions are futile. They don’t feel morally obligated to give. No one has ever asked them to do so. And they believe they’ll enjoy life more if they keep their money and time for themselves and their families.
I’ve done my best in this book to demonstrate that all kinds of giving can make a profoundly positive difference, that everyone has something valuable to give, and that countless individuals and organizations are asking for help. Of course, people have to make their own decisions about what they feel morally compelled to do and what will make them happy.
All religious faiths speak to our shared obligations to help one another. In Jewish law and tradition, giving, tzedakah, is obligatory, up to at least 10 percent of income. The literal meaning of the Hebrew word tzedakah is “righteousness,” but it also is used to refer to justice and to giving to those in need. The righteous individual must strive for social justice through giving. The wide range of Jewish organizations, including the American Jewish World Service, the United Jewish Appeal, the Anti-Defamation League, and MAZON, giving staggering sums to promote good causes in their home nation, in Israel, and in poor nations across the world, demonstrates the powerful hold of tzedakah on the hearts of believers.
Islam also has made charity, zakat, obligatory for all those who embrace the faith. Muslims believe that all human beings should be one another’s well-wishers, that the wealthy have a sacred duty to help the poor, disabled, and others in need, and that other Muslims do too, after first meeting the needs of their own family.
Beyond the obligatory giving of zakat, 2.5 percent of income and a higher percentage on physical possessions from food to jewelry, Muslims of means are morally bound to give more when the common good cannot be met by the zakat giving alone. The word for voluntary giving is sadaqah, which like the Hebrew word tzedakah means righteousness (how often we forget all we have in common!). Muslims are expected to remove stumbling blocks that keep others from living a full life and to do so voluntarily without