What would you do if money was no object? After lengthy musing, I have decided that the most worthy and satisfying thing is to be a philanthropist —someone who gives their money, time and/or talent to deserving causes.
A typical philanthropist gives away a ton of moolah—like Melinda Gates, Mackenzie Bezos, Oprah Winfrey, or Ruth Gottesman, a professor emerita in Albert Einstein College of Medicine Department of Pediatrics, who made a billion-dollar donation to enable free tuition at the school.
To be fair, Professor Gottesman’s husband, David, made the money from investments. But she could have spent it on chocolate after he died in 2022 after 72 years of marriage. Sure, if it wasn’t for Melinda and Mackenzie’s hefty divorce settlements, they couldn’t afford to be so generous, but you get my drift. Because of their generosity, the world is a better place. That’s some legacy. Let’s also tip our collective hat to Oprah and all the other major philanthropists who made their money from their own skills—all donations are great gifts however you wrap them up.
Trouble is, once you make a donation to a charity (or a political party), they often keep coming back for more. There’s no “one and done” with some big charities. And it’s hard to resist what can be constant bombardment.
Like most reasonable people, I’m a sucker for a photograph on an envelope of a starving child or homeless person, but sometimes even I just throw the letter in the trash (recycle, of course) without even opening it. Leave me alone! It’s a numbers game and they know it’s worth annoying the hell out of us because at least some will give, because it’s hard to say no to human and animal suffering.
However, this is not going to stop me bragging that I just donated fifty bucks to the GoFundMe organized by the Topanga Coalition for Emergency Preparedness (TCEP) to purchase much-needed equipment for Topanga’s Fire Station 69. At the risk of gaining a reputation as a major philanthropist this early in my career, I also donated $100 to TCEP during the recent fires. They do such a great job keeping us updated in times of emergency. Which feels like all the time these days.
From now on, my plan is to be more like Simon T, who doesn’t brag about his generosity or take credit for it, yet donated land to the Los Angeles County Fire Department for the helipad known as 69 Bravo—where helicopters refill their water tanks to fight the fires that threaten our homes and businesses. 69 Bravo is also used for medical and earthquake evacuations. Mister T helps with its upkeep and has installed 24-hour cameras for a live 360-degree view of Topanga Canyon.
What about us regular folk with more modest means? What can we do to be philanthropic and of service to those with even less than us? Any donation, however small, can be put to good use by causes and individuals in need. Supporting local charities and businesses has never been more crucial, especially when they have to compete with other fine causes for fewer spare dollars. If we all cared and gave just a little more, the cumulative effect could be significant.
