To Inspire People to Give, Be Public

We never thought it would happen, but 2020 is finally wrapping up. Whatever your holiday traditions are, you're probably spending time buying gifts for your family and friends while planning how you will be better version of yourself in 2021. I know I am.

But have you thought about what you can give to others this holiday season? Have you considered how giving to others year-round might improve you too?

Lately, I've gotten back into the habit of listening to podcasts, and one of my favorites is the Making Sense podcast hosted by Sam Harris. In the queue yesterday was Episode #228 - Doing Good, a conversation with William MacAskill, an Associate Professor in Philosophy at Oxford and co-founder of three non-profits based on effective altruist principles.

The conversation focused on effective altruism -- the idea that when we give, it's important to focus our dollars and time on doing the most good. We should use evidence and reason to figure out how to help others as much as possible and take action on that basis. MacAskill notes that not all giving opportunities are equal. You can have hundreds of times more impact depending on where you give. To that end, one of MacAskill's non-profits, Giving What We Can, compiles a list of the most effective charities each year to help donors make informed choices.

But the podcast also touched on something that really struck me: in our culture, it is taboo to speak publicly about your giving behaviors. We feel insecure about speaking up on this topic. I think we worry that others will judge us for not giving enough or for giving money instead of time. Our culture inadvertently conflates shame with giving, when the truth is that no level of giving is too small.

In a world where we publish nearly every aspect of our lives on social media, why do we shy away from the topic of giving?

If social media (and, really, media in general) has taught us anything, it's that people repeat the behaviors of those they see played out on their screens. As MacAskill notes, "People tend to conform, both intentionally and unintentionally adopting the actions of others." If peer pressure can get us to buy new products or dress like influencers, can it not also inspire us to give to charity?

I think it can.

In the spirit of spreading the desire to give and inspiring others to tell their own stories of giving, I'd like to share how I've given this year.

In April 2020, I decided to donate $100 every month to a charity (or group of charities) I liked or that were responding to a certain crisis. I really enjoyed being able to target my monthly donation to a cause that reflected in real time what was happening in the world. And I'm very fortunate to work at a company like Microsoft that matches 100% of all donations.

Below is a list of where my money went this year:

• April (Focus was on providing meals to those with food insecurity due to COVID-19) - Food Lifeline, Northwest Harvest
• May - Summit Assistance Dogs
• June - United Negro College Fund (Pacific NW Office)
• July - Innocence Project
• August (Focus was on providing support to the Beirut explosion response) - Lebanese Red Cross
• September (Focus was on support for Hurrican Laura victims) - Team Rubicon, American Red Cross Hurricane Laura Relief Fund
• October (Focus was on pet shelters after my dog, Peanut, passed) - Ginger's Pet Rescue
• November - Summit Assistance Dogs
• December (Focus was on supporting students at HBCUs) - Thurgood Marshall College Fund, HBCU Foundation, United Negro College Fund, Tom Joyner Foundation, COVID-19 Relief for African American HBCU College Students Scholarship Program

It feels so good to look back on the year and see how much I've given. And at the same time, I know I can do better.

But the great thing about giving is that there is no minimum required investment of time or money to get that good feeling. It comes no matter what -- whether you gave $1 or 1 hour -- because you sacrificed something you had for the greater good of humankind. I can think of nothing else that makes me feel as connected to my global community.

Next year, I plan to continue donating every month but also increase my giving, similar to how people increase their 401k contributions each year. Also, in the spirit of effective altruism, I'm going to make sure my dollars go to the most effective charities.

How have you given this year? What are your plans for giving next year?