The Giving Pledge

Frequently cynicism abounds about those in our society who are especially wealthy.berryjam.ru

They’re ‘fat cats’, who own an ‘obscene‘ amount of the world’s wealth. They’ve ‘obviously‘ put others down to get where they are. They’re the people who are ‘bleeding us dry‘. And of course they always value profits above people or planet …. and money above anything else for that matter. Selfish, ruthless, oblivious to the needs of those who struggle, completely out of touch with the global issues this world is facing ….

Heard these kinds of things before? We’ll bet you have. We have too.

And sure … some of this may be true about some people – at least some of the time.

But rather than allowing those dark thoughts to colour our world, it’s good to be reminded that many of those who have amassed large fortunes share exactly the same passion as ‘ordinary folk’ – to make this world a better place and demonstrate a generosity of spirit in the process.

For example, did you know that an increasing number of the world’s wealthiest people are joining The Giving Pledge  – pledging to dedicate the majority of their wealth to philanthropy?

As explained on their FAQ page, The Giving Pledge came about as the result of many conversations Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett had with other philanthropists in the U.S. and abroad:

The Giving Pledge is an effort to help address society’s most pressing problems by inviting the world’s wealthiest individuals and families to commit to giving more than half of their wealth to philanthropy or charitable causes either during their lifetime or after their death.

The idea takes its inspiration from efforts in the past and at present that encourage and recognize givers of all financial means and backgrounds. We are inspired by the example set by millions of people who give generously (and often at great personal sacrifice) to make the world a better place.

Initially, the focus was on the wealthiest families and individuals in the United States. Since there have been enthusiastic responses to the Giving Pledge around the world, the pledge now includes people from a mix of countries around the world.

Check out their stories and their pledges on the above site.  They make for interesting and inspiring reading.

We were delighted to come across The Giving Pledge. May this group of philanthropists not only achieve their dream of inspiring many others to join them, but also their hope that “the effort will continue for generations to come.”