"Women, Wealth & Giving"

Recently, I spent the day reading Margaret May Damen and Niki Nicastro McCuistion’s  new book, Women Wealth and Giving: the Virtuous Legacy of the Boom Generation.”  Margaret May had given me the book in January with a sweet inscription inside and I had looked at various parts of it but never actually read it from beginning to end.  My impressions as I reflect on it today are that I am so sorry I missed being a boomer, and that anyone who cares about women and philanthropy should have this book. 

It seems we all like to relate to something in which we see ourselves and the details in this book about being a boomer are not only profound, but they are vastly entertaining as well.   For instance they write, "In the 1960s, we knew we could not trust anyone over 30, yet as the flower children who had issued that warning found careers, got married, and raised children or chose alternate lifestyles, we assimilated into the very system we had rebelled against.” 

I am always looking for new phrases and quotes to use when speaking, as well as new subjects or ways or expressing old ideas, and they are all are bountiful in this book.  A plethora of sources were used and I highlighted and turned down dozens of pages to use in future speeches and writing.  Being a wealth planner, Margaret May has included an abundant number of invaluable exercises, centering around women finding their values and turning those values into philanthropy.

Although I do not know Niki well, I first met Margaret May several years ago in Indianapolis at a women and philanthropy symposium put on by the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University.  Over the years we would occasionally run into one another at various meetings and conferences and then during the last couple of years, we often exchanged thoughts about writing a book--the discipline required, the long days and nights, the loneliness, and the joy of finishing.  Her book was published in January and ours will be out in September.  We have been assured by our shared publishers that the books will be marketed together. 

Our books do share the same topic: women and philanthropy, but are quite different in the information contained and genuinely enhance and complement one another.  I am proud to be Margaret May’s friend and colleague and extremely proud of her contributions to this amazing movement of women and philanthropy.  Bravo Margaret May!

How Much is Enough?

Jacki Zehner

A couple of weeks ago, one of my co-author's of Women and Philanthropy: Boldly Shaping a Better World, Buffy Beaudoin-Schwartz, sent a quick question asking what I would recommend for reading for a diverse group of high worth women who have formed an informal discussion group about the topic of philanthropy.  The women want to have a discussion on "how much is enough" - both to have and to give.  Here is an excerpt from our new book about this topic.
     "As for how much money is enough, Linda Basch, president of the National Council for Research on Women says, "For women it's not just the thrill of making money, it's the social purposes that the money can be used for.  What we've seen with some women in our research about women in fund management is that they have a sense of when they've made enough and they cash out."
     Basch points to Jacki Zehner as an example.  In 1996 Zehner was the youngest woman and the first female trader to be invited into the partnership of Goldman Sachs.  After leaving the firm in 2002 at the age of 35, and having done well, she is now committed to doing good through her philanthropy concerning the economic empowerment of women."
I sent Buffy's question out to some friends and the following represent their replies.  

From Anne Ellinger and Bolder Giving

• Download (or order hard-copy) the Bolder Giving Workbook, which has quite a bit about "How Much Is Enough?".  Also, look through the "inspiring stories" section of www.boldergiving.org, especially those with "simplicity" as the motivation.
• More Than Money:  Scroll down the archives to issue #4 "How Much Is Enough?"
• Vicki Robin's website, book, online articles and teleclasses: Your Money or Your Life.
• Kathy LeMay's new book, The Generosity Plan.  
• Kevin and Hannah Salwens book, The Power of Half: One Family’s Decision to Stop Taking and Start Giving Back. 

Jacki Zehner from The Purse Pundit blog recommended:

• Kathy LeMay's new book, The Generosity Plan. 
• Tracy Gary's books, Inspired Legacies. 

Others that I would recommend:

• Margaret May Damen and Niki McCuistion, Women, Wealth and Giving: The Virtuous Legacy of the Boom Generation.
• Lynn Twist's, The Soul of Money.
• Charles W. Collier, Wealth in Families.
• Joanna Krotz, The Guide to Intelligent Giving: Make a Difference in the World--and in Your Own Life.
• Douglas M. Lawson, Give to Live: How Giving Can Change Your Life.
• An older but very wise book is the late Claude Rosenberg, Jr's Wealthy and Wise, How You and America can get the Most our of Your Giving.
• And finally, one that is sure to elicit ideas and dialogue is Amy A. Kass' book, The Perfect Gift: The Philanthropic Imagination in Poetry and Prose.

I surely hope that this list sparks more of these discussions among both women and men of all ages and wages and that you will add more to the list as well.  Perhaps if more of these discussions had gone on, there would be no reason for like limiting CEO pay or financial reform bills.  

I don't mean to leave anyone out but it does seem that athletes, music and film stars do have philanthropic role models but not so corporate executives.  Perhaps they don't get the same kind of attention with their philanthropy as a Bono, Madonna, Magic Johnson or Brad Pitt.  But perhaps it's also time for them to let us know what they are doing to make the world a better place.  Not just through their corporate contributions, but through their personal gifts as well.  Thank you Jacki Zehner for taking the time to step back and think through the question of how much is enough, and then becoming a strong philanthropist.  

Bolder Giving in Extraordinary Times

Anne Ellinger has created a discussion about women's philanthropy called "Women and Philanthropy--What do you Think?" on her interactive blog available at www.boldergiving.com.  After going to that page, look for the interactive site.  Anne started the column with comments about the course sponsored last week by the Women's Philanthropy Institute and the New York Times Knowledge Network, "Women and Philanthropy: The Time is Now."  I have entered some comments as has Margaret May Damen, author of Women, Wealth and Giving. The course forum moderated by Lisa Witter was extremely interesting and her questions and the panel answers very revealing and often not before discussed.   Do check out the site and add your own comments about either the course or women's philanthropy generally.