The holidays are a time of year many of us feel propelled by our hearts and compelled to give to those of us who are not as privileged. In 2017 in the U.S., individuals, corporations, and private foundations gave a combined $410 billion to charity; according to Charity Navigator, 31% of that giving occurred in December and 12% in the last 3 days of the year. A tremendous amount of charitable support by any standards! Yet, the truth is that these funds (driven by good intentions) are often tied to economic cycles and tax policy, and too unstable or insufficient to meet our community’s needs.
For for a sector of our economy where we spent $410 billion last year, the question of how to do good in the world still seems under-discussed. Let’s make a resolution in the upcoming New Year to use our hearts and minds, and not only talk about doing good, but how to become better at doing good. Mission Throttle estimates the total amount of capital needed to fund our country’s social needs annually exceeds $3 trillion. I encourage you to continually learn about and seek out tools that help fill this critical gap. Whether you are an individual seeking to make an impact investment into a social enterprise that generates its own revenue, or a foundation curious about investing in capacity building to provide mission-driven organizations with critical infrastructure support, you are in good company among the many who are already pushing the envelope and seeking sustainable ways to fund social impact.
Ultimately, making the world a better place requires not only generosity, but a dedication to gain a better understanding of the problems we are trying to solve, and to constantly evolve the tools needed to give everyone a chance to succeed.
Have a blessed holiday season,
Phillip