Gift of Giving
I think I understand the idea: you give someone a greeting card, and inside there's a message that reads, "A donation of $20 has been made in your name to [charity name here]".
The problem is, this doesn't work. It makes the giver feel good, twice over, but it doesn't make the recipient feel much of anything. Whatever that powerful feeling is that results from generosity is non-transferable. The best the recipient can hope for is a funny joke inside the card.
Starbucks has a "Red" gift card you can get, which triggers a 5 cent donation to the Global Fund each time you use the card. I got one from a friend recently, as a gift, so this donation happens whenever I use the card.
I'm perfectly aware that I'm just a spoiled yuppie buying overpriced coffee, and it's less than $20, but I think it's closer to ideal than the greeting card. Maybe the feeling matters more than the money.
The problem is, this doesn't work. It makes the giver feel good, twice over, but it doesn't make the recipient feel much of anything. Whatever that powerful feeling is that results from generosity is non-transferable. The best the recipient can hope for is a funny joke inside the card.
Starbucks has a "Red" gift card you can get, which triggers a 5 cent donation to the Global Fund each time you use the card. I got one from a friend recently, as a gift, so this donation happens whenever I use the card.
I'm perfectly aware that I'm just a spoiled yuppie buying overpriced coffee, and it's less than $20, but I think it's closer to ideal than the greeting card. Maybe the feeling matters more than the money.