Gift Hub

Where in Gift Planning is the Sale (soul)?

Teaching philanthropy or gift planning to financial advisors, I am often asked, "Were is the sale?" I have now reached an age at which I pretend to be deaf. "Where is the soul?", I respond cupping my ear. To which the class answers more loudly, "Where is the sale?" We continue in this way until the class rises to its feet, and dances in a frenzy waving their hands and shouting together, "Where is the sale?" Then, I join the dance waving my hands in manic exultation, "Yes, here is the soul!" At that point perhaps I have made the sale, to the extent such is possible.

Schmaxing the Super-Wealthy

Albert Ruesaga responding to a Chronicle of Philanthropy piece by Bill Schambra. What do the rich owe the poor? And what do we do to the rich who do not voluntarily discharge this debt? Albert proposes "schmaxes" that will be assessed when a rich person's taxes and total giving to those most in need fall short of some responsible minimum. If, afterall, the worst give least, and the best gift most, who will have more and more as time goes on? Super-PredatorPac funders? After Cato, Bill, I hear the Brothers K are coming after Bradley. Then your tune will change.

Plutocrats Think You are Stupid

Via an excellent post, The Richest Get Richer, by David Kay Johnston.

Kay attributes the runaway wealth of the super rich to government policies under recent administrations, whether Republican or Democrat.  Superpacs will likely drive both parties farther in this direction. The term for it is Plutocracy. We are a two party Plutocracy. As an alternative to the prevailing orthodoxy of Free Markets leading to Wealth Bondage, I am reading Amartya Sen's outstanding book, The Idea of Justice. The reasoned scrutiny of public policy by a well informed, highly educated electorate, operating transparently in the public square is one hope, that of John Dewey. And then there is the reality of an ignorant, mis-educated, often vicious electorate driven by demogogues funded by Plutocrats. Stupid pays a price, but worse it inflicts a price on us all.

How To Buy a Link from Gifthub

Advertisers recently and persistently have been offering me princely sums, up to $20, to link to their sites. To which tempting offers I think fit to respond as follows: I have never and will never mix blogging with commerce. I was fortunate to be born into Wealth Bondage, the Freest Market in the World for the Sacred and the Profane, and have devoted my life to advancing the cause of Wealth Bondage, strictly pro bono publico. Render unto Wealth Bondage the things that belong to Wealth Bondage and render unto Wealth Bondage the things that Belong to Wealth Bondage. I have  never and will never waver in my devotion to The Wealth Bondage Brand of which Gifthub is the Philanthropic Herald. On the other hand, for $20, I will link this post to any book by Milton Freidman, or to any think tank funded by the Koch Brothers, or to any Superpac or to any funder, or grifter in high places. To aspiring grifters on the rise, I offer my personal example as an inspiration.

Charon Stiffed

Ah Charon, we who conduct the living dead from success to significance have in you at last a viable business model.

In Greek mythology, Charon (in Greek, Χάρων — the bright — was the ferryman of Hades. (Etruscan equivalent: Charun) (Modern Greek Folklore: angel of death: Charos or Charontas)
He took the newly dead from one side of the river Acheron to the other if they had an obolus (coin) to pay for the ride. Corpses in some regions in ancient Greece were buried with a coin underneath their tongue to pay the fare. Some authors claim the price to be 2 coins, placed over each eye of the deceased. Those who could not had to wander the banks of the Acheron for one hundred years.

Whatever an obolous was worth, it is more than I have netted or even grossed from 15 years of morals tutorials to America's wealthiest families.

Success next stop Significance

How many times as Conductor on the night train from Success to Significance I have had to wake the dozing passengers, if only too late. "God Almighty! I missed my stop." How often have the half awakened passengers stood bewildered and broke staring at the sign "Significance," with nary a dime towards their return ticket to "Success." We stop at Success, we stop at Significance, but for all Eternity I must shuttle back and forth, like Charon, "Success, all aboard, next stop Significance." 

Trump Kids do Philanthropic Travel Right

Posing with their prey: Eric <Trump> sits atop one of their kills. In his responses to critics on Twitter, Don said that the animals were used as meat for hungry villagers who do not eat the animals often. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2114122/Donald-Eric-Trump-pictured-posing-trophy-carcasses-big-African-hunt.html#ixzz1p7pkg200. They are learning the Family Values that will help them in business. I myself do not eat Water Buffalo often. When do I get my piece?

Towards High Impact Moral Tutorial Metrics - MBAs Before and After Treatment

I guess it is progress. A few years ago we had consultants in from Wealth Bondage Worldwide. Gifthub is not accountable to our generous patron, they tell me, we are accountable to our own internal metrics which we should use to guide our own productivity. She will review and approve these, leaving us free to fall and sufficient to stand, as God did with Adam and Eve, per John Milton. We should internalise the controls and make them our own, as a Catholic might internalize the Catechism, they said. So, Fr Brennan and I are working on our own High Impact metrics. He says we should measure the souls of consultants saved, and the souls per dollar invested. I say we cannot vouch for their being saved, we can only vouch for their having confessed, done penance, and vowed reform. Then, it occurred to me, Metrics!As a High Performing, High Impact Morals Tutoring Nonprofit for High Capacity Consultants, we can ask each consultant to measure his or her morals weekly, before and after Fr. Brennan and my intervention. At first, for a few years, they can report back, then once they internalize it, we can let them go on their own. My concern frankly is fraud. Just because they turn in their forms, or are even sincerely convinced of their salvation, does not mean that they have actually repented. So, I am going to suggest 24/7 surveillance, starting with their email and internet usage. Hope they agree this is fair all around. Think of the impact Gifthub could achieve if we improved the morals of business consultants by even 1%. I know that is a stretch goal, a Big Harry Audacious Goal (BHAG), but dream no small dream.

Celebrating The Marriage of Wealth and Virtue

Father Brennan, when he drinks, turns ugly lashing out at me, himself, the whole Wealth Bondage set up on which he depends for his precarious income, writing moral biographies of our clients and patrons. Last night, before passing out, he roared, "Those who write moral biographies for the damned will damned to read those biographies for all eternity."  I don't know, to me that seems like heaven. I find the moral biographies of our clients quite instructive. They have taught me hard work is rewarded, that virtue rises on its own wings, that even the most heinous crimes against humanity are forgiven when washed in the Blood of the Lamb, and other things that have been quite helpful in my career. Unlike Brennan, who is merely an Adjunct Morals Tutor, I am now a Full Time Moral Tutorial Consultant II. I hardly ever drink and never blog when I do. My moral biography will soon record my own rise to the top of Wealth Bondage. Meanwhile, in Brennan's incapacity, I will don his clerical collar to preside over the nuptuals of Wealth and Virtue. They want Sister Lucy to play Virtue tonight, as the only virgin on the premises, but I told them she is saving it for God. They don't want to have to deal with all that. So we are going to use Wanda again, as sore as she is.

The Measure of an MBA

HBS professor, Clay Christensen, It’s quite startling that a significant fraction of the 900 students that HBS draws each year from the world’s best have given little thought to the purpose of their lives. The title of the piece is How Will you Measure your Life? A good title for a metrics driven field. What about, "What is the measure of your life? The measure of a man? To what do we measure up?" Why should we be startled that those who wish to be Masters of Business Administration are not profoundly philosophical, or introspective, virtuous, public spirited, or wise? The question is why we turn our lives over to such, look up to them, or live under their measures. "Drawn from the world's best." Clay! You went to Oxford. You have a liberal education. Why in the name of God would you consider the HBS intake process to be drawing upon the world's best? Best at what? Why what standard? And why if this is the world's best are the results, as you depict them, so miserable, and why is the "went to jail" rate so high? A) The intake process is wrong B) the HBS teaching is wrong C) The system HBS feeds into is screwed up. Why not rise to this level of conversation, rather than preaching mildly to the false shepherds?