Begging the Question: Which Came First: Beggar or Charity?

Which came first: the impulse of compassion or the need for basic life-giving "amenities" such as food and shelter, not to mention clothing which seems to separate us from animals?

Organizations are bestowed nonprofit status by the IRS if they serve a public benefit, yet they are the ones who seek charity in the form of donations.

In my book, this is a tautology, a redundant, self-fulfilling prophesy; the charitable are in need of charity. What about the needy, the ones who are at the bottom line?

Perhaps we have to organize, a "Beggars Union" and cut out the middle man. Do we need nonprofits to frame our issues or, perhaps, is their role to tidy us up so that we are presentable to those "others" who need to exercise that compassionate impulse? When a nonprofit makes more money "defining" the issue than it does remedying it ... don't get me started!!

Begging the Question, Again. Always!

And remember,

No Matter What

Don't Forget to Ask for the Money!

Being Charitable Without an Income

This just rattled my begging bowl! (I always put some change in there to encourage others to donate and to enable me to be charitable as well ... even in these very rough times.)  What do you think?

http://philanthropy.com/article/White-House-Says-Charitable/130862/?sid=pt&utm_source=pt&utm_medium=en

Here's my reply:

NEED AN INCOME TAX DEDUCTION? HOW ABOUT $21/HR. FOR YOUR VOLUNTEER LABOR?

Looking for a bail-out-free economic stimulus? If you volunteered your time to a nonprofit organization, it was worth more than $21/hour (national average, per Independent Sector) in 2010. Would have been great to deduct it, but IRS says you only can deduct your direct expenses.

Please share this petition with your Facebook and Twitter fans, family, etc. Tell your elected official running for or against the incumbent to make this a campaign priority! Something on which they can all agree.

Let's not be romantic about volunteerism. We're really doing essential WORK that in a better economy a person would have been paid to do. Soon it'll be the top bosses with big salaries and volunteers.

America is a great working society, but volunteer labor -- estimated by the Corporation for National Community Service (funny, profit-making sound) accounted for $173 billion in 2010 (up from $168 billion in contributed time in
2009) but not counted in the GDP.

And remember,

No Matter What

Don't Forget to Ask for the Money!