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Boulder Daily Camera
Making Money Matter
Enid Ablowitz

November, 2003
 

A New Tradition 

By Enid Ablowitz

 Almost overnight summer became fall became winter. Now, the holidays are almost upon us.  The bustle of activity is increasing. We plan for our Thanksgiving dinner and the fast-approaching festivities of December.  In all the hubbub, it is easy to forget about those who aren’t festive, who aren’t going to have turkey with all the trimmings.  What about people who are just barely surviving--struggling to get by—those who can’t count on having food, shelter or clothing, and sometimes not even just someone to care?

 As a community, we are prosperous. We live surrounded by natural beauty with a quality of life that is enviable.  Yet, there are those among us who do not look forward to the holidays, and the long winter that stretches ahead.  There are people right here in Boulder who don’t have enough to eat, who worry about their heating bills, who have lost their jobs and now face the terror of losing their homes because they can’t pay the rent, or who already live on the street and face certain frostbite because they have no gloves.   Real people need our help.

 Thanksgiving is more than preparing our shopping lists and baking our pumpkin pies.  It is more than being with family and friends.   It is a time to reflect on our lives and our bounty—to contemplate the important things, the things that really matter.  Now is the time to also think about our philanthropy.  The act of giving is part of being human.  It represents the connectedness between people. It is a way to show compassion, to demonstrate personal responsibility, and to live our values.

 The quintessential Boulder bumper sticker reads “Think Globally, Act Locally.”  While there is poverty everywhere in the world, this is the time to heed the message to just look around you, right here, right now.  Our local non-profit organizations are struggling to meet the needs of our neighbors.  With reduced government assistance, more people than ever depend on scarce resources and non-profit budgets are stretched to the limit.  Individuals must provide the donations and volunteer time that maintain our community safety net.  Increase the amount of your gift, or if you haven’t given before, do it now.  Focus your giving to make an impact.  Involve other members of your family or circle of friends.

 Let’s create a Boulder Thanksgiving tradition.  Around your holiday table, start a conversation about giving.  Talk about what you give to each other—the gifts you buy, and the gifts that come from the things you do for one another.  Then talk about what you give outside of your circle—to people you don’t know, to people in need.  Talk about your favorite charities and why they matter to you.  Talk about why you give, and how you give, and even how much you give.  Do you volunteer time?  Do you tithe?  Do you give out of discretionary income?  Have you ever considered giving unneeded assets? Have you thought about bequest giving?  Is there a difference in the way people give depending on their age or generation?  Is giving part of your family or group culture?  If so, why?  Were you taught how to give?  If giving is not a part of your culture, why not?  How can you change that?  Are the children involved in giving?  How can they be?  Is part of their allowance set aside for giving?  Do your children participate in giving decisions?  What about creating a traditional giving circle, a group of people who pool resources and give collectively?  

 Make local giving an important part of our community culture by talking about it, planning it and then doing it.

There is no shortage of non-profit organizations that can help you make a difference.  Select one you are familiar with, or seek a recommendation through your house of worship, through the Community Foundation Serving Boulder County or by contacting me via e-mail at enidablowitz@hotmail.com.

 Winston Churchill once said “we make a living by what we get but we make a life by what we give.”  We have the power to make giving an important part of our lives—a part that helps define who we are at the most fundamental level.  This holiday season, buy less and give more.

 Enid Ablowitz is the Vice President for Advancement at the University of Colorado Foundation, Inc., and Director of Advancement for the Coleman Institute for Cognitive Disabilities.

You may contact Enid Ablowitz by email at enidablowitz@hotmail.com

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