Tuesday, March 08, 2005
Young Pros and Charity
The Wall St. Journal has a recent article on charity giving by Young Professionals. It applies to the recent post I made on the focus of the UW's Young Leader Society program. That program is focused on very significant giving. The fact of the matter is, very few young professionals can afford that kind of donation. (not only can they not afford it, but many don't itemize, so they don't get the same tax benefit as the older generation).
This article is right on. While giving is a good thing to get used to, and you should start early in your career (just like your 401(k)). There are things that take precendence, like rent, eating and setting yourself up for retirement. In the meantime you can focus giving on time (volunteering), and maximizing the contribution that you can afford. Finding specific causes that are dear to your heart, and focusing your volunteer and financial efforts towards that. Finding ways to help lead organizations (board positions, committees, etc). Give Back Cincinnati is built on this model. Very little financial contribution, but making efforts through volunteering that will build connection to the community and when you're ready financially to give, you'll have that connection to organizations that you care about.
This article is right on. While giving is a good thing to get used to, and you should start early in your career (just like your 401(k)). There are things that take precendence, like rent, eating and setting yourself up for retirement. In the meantime you can focus giving on time (volunteering), and maximizing the contribution that you can afford. Finding specific causes that are dear to your heart, and focusing your volunteer and financial efforts towards that. Finding ways to help lead organizations (board positions, committees, etc). Give Back Cincinnati is built on this model. Very little financial contribution, but making efforts through volunteering that will build connection to the community and when you're ready financially to give, you'll have that connection to organizations that you care about.
