The Commons

When Curt Simic kicked off his afternoon plenary at the CASE Conference for Institutionally Related Foundations by saying he was going to quote from my earlier session (see presentation below), I was both delighted and – potentially – worried.  Where was he going to go with this?  He might quote my new aphorism,  “If frugality is the new black, then giving is the new hot pink.”  Or he might repurpose my quoting of Rahm Emanuel, “never let a serious crisis go to waste” (which, it turns out, wasn’t even original with Rahm).  Or, “read Snowball, it will reassure you.”

No, it was something else: “In tough times, giving is heroic.”  Think about it.  When an individual steps forward in a time of uncertainty or risk, and does something that matters – something selfless that saves lives or otherwise makes a real difference – that person is seen as a hero.  And what could be more quietly heroic than stepping forward and asserting with a gift that the light at the end of the tunnel is not the headlight of an oncoming train, but is indeed brighter times ahead?

Giving is emotional, and choosing to give now is an emotional investment in those organizations or causes that each of us holds near and dear.  And nonprofits must celebrate this core understanding and ratify the emotional risk/reward for donors who stay loyal and committed in this unsettled economic situation.  The motivating emotions are complex:  I am not alone.  I can do something that matters. We will get through this together.

Andy Gladstein, a panelist in Curt’s plenary who has been a generous contributor to Indiana University, talked about two dimensions of the decision to give.  The first is classic: “My dad believed that philanthropy was a civic responsibility, and we’ve passed that lesson on to our kids.”  The second is purely emotional:  “I felt guilty because I felt so good about what we were doing.”  I don’t know if heroes feel guilty, but they sure feel good.

Let’s celebrate our quiet heroes.

- Rob Moore, Managing Partner

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Tags: charitable giving, economic downturn, higher education, trends