Two Big Reasons Why Giving Matters

In his recent book, Suicide of the West, Jonah Goldberg attempts to make sense of our national mess of tribalism and hostility. At times, it is a depressing read. He paints a sharp picture of the natural depraved state of humankind.

Surprisingly, though, the book’s core message is extremely positive. He highlights what he terms “The Miracle” of Western-style liberal democracy that birthed the ideas of freedom, individual rights, and so many other values you and I believe in – yet are so often taken for granted.

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How do we preserve that Miracle? There are a number of ways we do it. If you ever attend America’s Future Foundation events, you contribute to its preservation. Being a joiner and showing up to meet others who share your values not only helps you but helps build community bonds. Being part of a faith community, part of your neighborhood pool, or even just being an active participant in the lives of your family helps the Miracle fight for another day.

Jonah’s book reminds us of the importance of these “little platoons” and our involvement in them. But when we face down the current ideological tide working against our ideas, it can feel like these efforts aren’t big enough.

What Giving Offers

And this is where our charitable giving comes into play.

There are two big reasons why charitable giving is so important for preserving the Miracle.

First, charitable giving extends our reach.

There are hundreds of non-profit organizations out there filled with people waking up each day to push back on progressive over-reach and promote liberty. The big think tanks like AEI, Heritage, and Cato do important work at the national level. There are similar organizations in every state as well, working to secure good policy ideas and stop the bad ones.

No, I’m not arguing that white papers alone will turn the tide. Fortunately, the charitable landscape of ideas goes well beyond think tanks, to student training groups like Leadership Institute or Young America’s Foundation; grassroots groups like Americans for Prosperity or FreedomWorks; public interest law firms like Institute for Justice and Pacific Legal Foundation, and groups like Institute for Humane Studies and the Mercatus Center that support and foster that rare bird, the liberty-minded university professor.

Slowing the Over-Reach

Charitable giving also preserves the Miracle by countering over-reach by the other side. Private giving has the power to be a force for public good. Not giving to charitable efforts surrenders that ground to government.

I’m not just talking here about giving to the policy groups. Any group that advances civil society helps secure liberty, from the Boy Scouts to private medical research to churches to arts groups.

These are the groups the prove everything the policy groups say – that real people can come together to solve real problems without massive government intrusion. Private philanthropy solves major problems. If you want specific examples, listen to a few episodes of the Sweet Charity podcast from Karl Zinsmeister and the Philanthropy Roundtable. Private charity does a ton more than simply fund soup kitchens.

Be a Giver

I want to encourage you to be a giver, to support the private groups that both promote policy and bring free-market, liberty-advancing values to life.

Now, let’s debunk out a common belief: you don’t have to be rich to be a philanthropist. At my organization, DonorsTrust, we think that being a philanthropist isn’t about how much you give, or even how old you are. Rather, it’s about how strategically you act.

Earlier this year, we held a reception for DonorsTrust clients during an event at the AEI building. Those clients, who use DonorsTrust’s donor-advised funds as a vehicle for their charitable giving, were not uber-wealthy billionaires. Most of those clients are people who work at or run non-profits or small businesses, or are lawyers, or even have a government job. Some of them were part of our Novus Society, a program for younger donors under 40 who don’t yet have a ton of resources to give, but are ready to be smarter in their giving.

In short, I imagine they are a lot like you. Their donor-advised fund helps them organize their giving. Working with us means they know they have a partner who shares their principles and believes in limited government, personal responsibility, and free enterprise.

Whether with a donor-advised fund or just giving with cash, I hope you will support organizations fighting each day for the ideals you cherish. Your contributions to worthy causes advance the Miracle of a free society, and that is definitely worth preserving.