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Daily Camera

Enid Ablowitz

Giving Thanks and More

Money has no intrinsic value.  It can buy food and shelter; it can buy the trappings of comfort and it can create the perception of security. It can also be the source of class divisions, sloth, greed, domination and fear. Money takes on the character of those who use it.  It can be used to elevate, and it can be used to destroy.

When I write about making money matter, I am talking about giving.  But giving isn’t  just about money.  Giving is about connecting with the larger world around you.  The continuum generally begins with family, where children receive and learn to give love.  Giving is sharing, whether in the sandbox or through world relief organizations. Giving is volunteering time and getting involved in civic organizations.  Giving is participating in building healthy communities.  Giving is sacrificing for the good of others.

The month of November is a time for making our voices heard, for remembrance and for reflection.  It is also a time for giving.  Election day, we participate in our community through our freedom of self-determination.  We vote.  On Veteran’s Day, we remember those who served in the military and gave their lives to protect our freedoms. The feast of Thanksgiving was grounded in the religious tradition of giving, and was a celebration and sharing of the harvest.  It has become a time when families and friends gather around tables overflowing with good food and well-being.  Whether a community dinner to feed the homeless, or the cook-all-day-22-pound-turkey-with pumpkin-and apple-pie dinner, we pause to give thanks. 

This year, we must come to terms with a new reality:  loss, fear and uncertainty. Thanksgiving takes on a whole new meaning as we alter our view of what is really important in our lives.

A year ago, I wrote about establishing a new Thanksgiving holiday tradition.  I’ve been asked by readers to share these ideas again.  They seem even more relevant now.

Imagine sitting around your Thanksgiving dinner table and talking about the word ‘giving’.  You could start by discussing what you give to each other; the tangible things, like gifts at birthdays, and the intangibles, like time and support and love.  You could then talk about what each of you gives to people you know, and to those you don’t.  Does someone in your family volunteer?  Sell things to raise money for a school or club?  Give away some allowance?  Have a payroll deduction for charity? Write year-end checks or give stock to favorite organizations? You might even ask each person around the table to talk about a gift they gave that made them feel good. Then ask them to explain why.

Some families might talk about going beyond the usual spur-of- the-moment giving. Instead of being reactive, you could talk about what you want to accomplish with your giving.  Strategic giving means committing to learning more about the underlying issues involved. It may mean researching community safety nets, or the health and welfare of animals, or saving rainforests, or understanding how education leads to economic empowerment .  By talking about philanthropy as an important part of family life, each member can feel connected to each other and to the outside world in meaningful ways.  By understanding and describing what they want their giving to accomplish, each person can feel more satisfaction in their giving.

Philanthropy can become values-based and can connect the generations. Go around the table and identify each person’s interests. Consider whether, as a group, you want to create a special focus for giving each year, rotating the decision maker. Include children in the decisions and teach them how to give. If appropriate, leverage your giving by making tax-wise gifts.  And, be sure you know how your money will be used.

With our nation at war, we more clearly see our interdependence.  At your holiday table, give thanks for our freedoms, remember those who have given and will give their lives to preserve those freedoms, and recognize the extraordinary abundance we enjoy.  Talk about what really matters.  Then, as a family, support those organizations that reflect your values.  Make your money matter.

Send your questions about making charitable gifts to Enid Ablowitz, Features, Daily Camera, 1048 Pearl St., Boulder, 80302 or e-mail???/Fax????

Ablowitz, the Asst. Dean for Advancement at CU’s College of Engineering is a Certified Fund Raising Executive and has been working with donors for over a decade.  She is writing a book called Making Money Matter: 8 Steps to Thoughtful Giving.

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