The Power of the 10% Rule

The fun part about giving is looking ahead.

I sometimes ask myself how my philanthropy will change in the future.  The fact is that I have no idea. The future hasn’t been invented yet and so I don’t know where my passion for giving will lead me.

What I can do, and what my husband John and I do every year, is hold back 10% of our annual giving budget for unexpected opportunities.  When we make our budget at the beginning of the fiscal year we have some idea of what we want to do, but we know there will be surprises.

The 10% for the future gives us a chance to make a difference in ways we couldn’t even think of.  In a way, all giving is an investment that says you have hope for the future, that what you do today will make a difference tomorrow.

Right now you may be able to reach out to others, or you may be one of those many starfish who needs a hand up.

I invite you to make room for the unexpected opportunities that are sure to come up for your giving this year.

Like what you hear? Pick up a copy of Every Gift Matters: How Your Passion Can Change the World, now available at Amazon.