Donating 25% of our Salary

On a recent business trip I had what many would call an epiphany. I present it here as a confession, wrapped into a positive moment of reflection, and a hope for redemption. Leaving a local cafe, coffee in hand, I started walking down Market Street in San Francisco’s thriving technology and financial district. I was traveling only a few paces behind two men in their early to mid 30’s. They were dressed in dark slacks, crisp white dress shirts, dark sport coats, and no ties. I was in earshot of them and accidentally, and then purposely, eavesdropped as one of them spoke about needing to get rid of his current Audi and purchase a newer model. The other mentioned that he was “over” his current car and was going to buy a new Tesla. Their discussion occurred precisely as they slowly passed a man, who looked to be homeless, and was pulling a small cart in the same direction. The homeless man wasn’t asking for money, but merely walking to his next destination. The luxury car discussing men didn’t offer him any assistance with the cart, nor did they offer him money or food…and neither did I. What I did do was judge both well to-do men in my mind, whom I didn’t know anything about, as tone-deaf rich assholes. Within seconds of this encounter I turned off the sidewalk to enter the building that I was visiting. As I went to push on the revolving door to enter, I saw my own reflection in the window. I looked exactly like them…slacks, shirt, missing tie, and coat. Somewhat similarly to these men, and only moments before my encounter with them when I was sitting in the cafe, I was on my computer checking my investment totals, pondering how much additional principle on my home I should pay off, surfing around travel sites to find a great vacation spot for the new year, and trying to find the newest gadget I could purchase my wife for Christmas.

So as I walked extra slowly through that circular door, $5 coffee in hand, the epiphany hit and sunk in…I was no better than them. In fact I would submit that I was worse. I actually noticed and understood the pain and suffering of the homeless man to a certain degree, and yet I did nothing in that moment to alleviate his pain in any way. In the end it was much easier to pass judgment on two complete strangers, sip my coffee, and go to work. To those two guys out there, I am truly sorry. To others I may have judged in this way, I am also sorry. To the homeless man pulling his cart down that cold San Francisco sidewalk, I apologize for not helping in any way.

The realization came while standing in the lobby of that 30-story high-rise. For the first time in my life I felt fully conscience of the reality that I had enough. Enough income, enough shelter, enough clean water and access to food, enough opportunity for myself and my family to be content and happy. I didn’t need that next gadget, that next expensive vacation, or perhaps a remodel on my home to be happier or more content. More importantly, I realized that I had a responsibility to give more and do more for those that didn’t have enough. So, now what was to be done with this new revelation?

I had a friend (and pastor) once say that, “Giving isn't giving unless it disrupts your lifestyle.” It is with great desire and excitement that we are now committed to donating 25% of our monthly salary to charity. We acknowledge that this amount might be a struggle for our family. It may be a struggle for many that decide to make a similar commitment. We know that the struggle to give more won’t be from a lack of motivation or empathy. What will prevent us from giving all we can is found in the social pressures to purchase and consume. This post, if nothing else, is a call for all of us to disrupt our lifestyles, so that we can help each other with this new and more fulfilling way to live.

Giving away significant portions of your monthly salary to those in need comes down to three simple realities. First, we have to recognize and empathetically understand the global and local needs out there. Last year alone there were almost a half a million people that died of malaria. According to the Against Malaria Foundation a $5 donation can protect 4 individuals for more than three years by providing bed-nets. For the same $5 donation you can help protect six children from Schistosomiasis, a parasitic disease that is non-existent in developed countries. Killing over 280,000 people a year, this disease can be easily prevented and treated by inexpensive medications. Imagine how many people we could save with 5%, 25%, or 50% of our monthly salaries. I submit that we have a profound responsibility to save as many of these men, women, and children as we can.

One of the conclusions I took from the most recent election cycle is that there are people in our country, of all political affiliations, that are struggling economically and socially. No matter your political ideology or how you voted, you have a responsibility to keep your eyes open and to help out everyone in need. Period. This doesn’t start and stop at the ballot box. Based on the campaign promises and threats via Twitter made by the incoming President, there will potentially be segments of the population under greater social and economic stresses. Governmental service organizations will be under larger budget constraints and we as a community have a responsibility to pick up the slack. There are great non-profit organizations that exist to help those that may lose access to their healthcare, that can help push back at the injustice of deportations, and that can assist victims of religious or racial discriminations. These groups need our monetary support.

The second reality to achieving the greatest impact possible is that we have to work hard to prioritize our consumption. In the face of a society that constantly tells us to purchase a new car, or gadget, or $5 cup of coffee, this will prove difficult for many. A concerted effort will need to be undertaken to retrain us to live on less. Examples include finding ways to decrease fuel consumption, embracing public education for our kids over expensive private schools, or enjoying the lower cost pleasure of eating at home, to name a few. Only then will we be able to transfer the monetary resources we currently use to consume items we don’t really need, and use those freed up resources to help others. As Vice President Joe Biden says, “Don’t tell me what you value, show me your budget, and I will tell you what you value.” By decreasing consumption our family is able to increase our giving, resulting in our ability to support those in need, and to show them that they are valued and loved.

The third and final reality we face when trying to do as much good as possible is that we have to admit that we can’t do this all by ourselves. For years I carried around the ideal that giving should be anonymous because giving is about loving others, and not about the selfishness of advertising my philanthropy. Put more bluntly in the Gospel According to Matthew, “When you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others.” With this verse of scripture in mind, we humbly share our plan for giving as an invitation to you, and as an expression of our passion about doing the most good we can for those in need. We also know that we can’t do this alone. We need all of you to help keep us honest, committed, and emboldened to give even more in the future. Our family is committed to playing our small role, and we hope that by sharing our story others will also commit to making the most positive impact they can…both globally and locally. I hope you join us as we share our stories, our struggles, and collaborate on how to best alleviate the hardships of those in our communities.