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MJ DeMarco
I followed the science; all I found was money.
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Great post. I have a lot to say about this topic, of course, corrupted with my own opinion. First, the thread ATW refers too is a thread I haven't read. Unfortunately, management of this place has not allowed me to read every single topic and thread that comes into play. I'm sorry for that.
Over the years, I've become very distrustful of people in general when it comes to money and charity. In fact, most of my donations to charity I've often found weren't put in good stewardship and the motives weren't charity at all, but greed.
The gambit of entities I've donated too runs from medical non-profits, to bums pandhandling on the street, to my very own church. I used to donate regularly to one of those "sponsor a child" charities and quit when I discovered that some outrageous (%) of funds donated went to "administrative" expenses, which is usually just a front for the owner to take a big salary. When you donate $1000 and later find that 92% of it goes to admin costs, your money is being wasted. Yes, your heart is in the right place, but your money isn't.
And now, my very own church that I love and adore - has also been subjected to greed over motive. I attend service weekly, and donate weekly. Last week, the church accountant was arrested for embezzling over $400,000.
http://www.azcentral.com/community/chandler/articles/0831cr-church0901.html
Last month I called "Habitat for Humanity" to see if they wanted some kitchen appliances and windows which came off my home's remodeling project. These items are worth $1,000's. I was asked "how new" they were. I told the gal the stuff was about 15 years old. She said "No, we don't want them, they are too old". Here I'm thinking, "The homeless and destitute get new appliances? These appliances were in my luxury home for 15 years, and they were good enough for me and the prior owners, but not good enough for some family supposedly in destitution?"
I have a few other stories to tell as well but it will only serve to start my day off on the wrong side.
It is stories like these that close my wallet to others who seem to be in need.
I've decided that when I give, I need to see my money work. If I write a check for $1000, I want to see a receipt for $1000 from Home Depot to fix that Mexican families plumbing so they can have fresh, cold water. I've pretty much decided that I won't donate to American causes any longer because greed is so pervasive in our culture - American poverty isn't poverty - its discomfort (Poverty level Americans have multiple TVs, big screens, video games, cars, 1200 square foot houses)
Here is a story about how "not poor" America's poor is:
http://www.heritage.org/Research/Welfare/bg2064.cfm
All my charity now goes south of the border, to people who are truly suffering poverty. If I make a large scale donation, it will only go thru my own organization where I can steward the funding.
MAKING MONEY COMMENT
Now on the flip side, I believe to acquire wealth, one needs to have an element of unselfishness - the mindset to look at others, uncover their wants and needs, and fill them. Inward, selfish thinkers often troll their lives away with the mindset "How can I make money?" and it alludes them -- primarily because they are selfish.
One tenet of getting rich is letting go of selfishness, and become more selfless.
Over the years, I've become very distrustful of people in general when it comes to money and charity. In fact, most of my donations to charity I've often found weren't put in good stewardship and the motives weren't charity at all, but greed.
The gambit of entities I've donated too runs from medical non-profits, to bums pandhandling on the street, to my very own church. I used to donate regularly to one of those "sponsor a child" charities and quit when I discovered that some outrageous (%) of funds donated went to "administrative" expenses, which is usually just a front for the owner to take a big salary. When you donate $1000 and later find that 92% of it goes to admin costs, your money is being wasted. Yes, your heart is in the right place, but your money isn't.
And now, my very own church that I love and adore - has also been subjected to greed over motive. I attend service weekly, and donate weekly. Last week, the church accountant was arrested for embezzling over $400,000.
http://www.azcentral.com/community/chandler/articles/0831cr-church0901.html
Last month I called "Habitat for Humanity" to see if they wanted some kitchen appliances and windows which came off my home's remodeling project. These items are worth $1,000's. I was asked "how new" they were. I told the gal the stuff was about 15 years old. She said "No, we don't want them, they are too old". Here I'm thinking, "The homeless and destitute get new appliances? These appliances were in my luxury home for 15 years, and they were good enough for me and the prior owners, but not good enough for some family supposedly in destitution?"
I have a few other stories to tell as well but it will only serve to start my day off on the wrong side.
It is stories like these that close my wallet to others who seem to be in need.
I've decided that when I give, I need to see my money work. If I write a check for $1000, I want to see a receipt for $1000 from Home Depot to fix that Mexican families plumbing so they can have fresh, cold water. I've pretty much decided that I won't donate to American causes any longer because greed is so pervasive in our culture - American poverty isn't poverty - its discomfort (Poverty level Americans have multiple TVs, big screens, video games, cars, 1200 square foot houses)
Here is a story about how "not poor" America's poor is:
http://www.heritage.org/Research/Welfare/bg2064.cfm
All my charity now goes south of the border, to people who are truly suffering poverty. If I make a large scale donation, it will only go thru my own organization where I can steward the funding.
MAKING MONEY COMMENT
Now on the flip side, I believe to acquire wealth, one needs to have an element of unselfishness - the mindset to look at others, uncover their wants and needs, and fill them. Inward, selfish thinkers often troll their lives away with the mindset "How can I make money?" and it alludes them -- primarily because they are selfish.
One tenet of getting rich is letting go of selfishness, and become more selfless.
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