Policy Press
7 Encouraging a ‘giving’ culture
-
Julia Neuberger
Abstract
Seen as the source of all ills (greed for it), or as the enabler of all good things (many economists and charitable fund raisers), money is seen as dirty, not to be talked about, essential, the focus of most political debate.
In fact, money – as a resource – is neutral, ethically speaking. How it is acquired, how it is spent, and what purposes it is used for are the questions with a moral overtone. And wider society should welcome the Friends Provident Foundation’s desire to have a wide-ranging, far reaching debate.
For me, there are three key points:
-
the duty to make life fairer;
-
ensuring that money is given well, not badly;
-
and the need to create a culture that encourages people to use their money for social good.
First, life is unfair. But we have, as individuals and as society, a duty to attempt to make it fairer. In Jewish terms, this means the giving of tsedakah, usually translated as charity, but in fact meaning ‘social justice’. All of us are obliged to give 10% of our income or our wealth.
From this idea comes the idea of tithing. But central to the Jewish thinking in this area is that we are not doing anything particularly virtuous by giving 10%. The real charity (over and above duty) is giving upwards of 20%, and time, energy, devotion, love. Those deeds are called deeds of loving kindness, and are of a different order. Even if money is involved, it is likely that it is not money alone.
Abstract
Seen as the source of all ills (greed for it), or as the enabler of all good things (many economists and charitable fund raisers), money is seen as dirty, not to be talked about, essential, the focus of most political debate.
In fact, money – as a resource – is neutral, ethically speaking. How it is acquired, how it is spent, and what purposes it is used for are the questions with a moral overtone. And wider society should welcome the Friends Provident Foundation’s desire to have a wide-ranging, far reaching debate.
For me, there are three key points:
-
the duty to make life fairer;
-
ensuring that money is given well, not badly;
-
and the need to create a culture that encourages people to use their money for social good.
First, life is unfair. But we have, as individuals and as society, a duty to attempt to make it fairer. In Jewish terms, this means the giving of tsedakah, usually translated as charity, but in fact meaning ‘social justice’. All of us are obliged to give 10% of our income or our wealth.
From this idea comes the idea of tithing. But central to the Jewish thinking in this area is that we are not doing anything particularly virtuous by giving 10%. The real charity (over and above duty) is giving upwards of 20%, and time, energy, devotion, love. Those deeds are called deeds of loving kindness, and are of a different order. Even if money is involved, it is likely that it is not money alone.
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Contents iii
- Foreword v
- Scope of this book and acknowledgements vii
- List of contributors ix
-
Overview
- Towards a ‘right use of money’ 3
-
The role of money in 21st-century Britain’s economy
- A ‘full investment’ approach 13
- Meeting economic, environmental and social challenges simultaneously 19
- Restoring the link between money, price signals and ethics 29
- Encouraging enterprise and decentralisation 39
-
Ethical dimensions
- Linking money and morality 49
- Encouraging a ‘giving’ culture 55
- Managing the power of money 59
- Money: what is it for? 67
- Returning business ethics and philanthropy to corporate social responsibility 71
- Reducing inequality 79
-
Empowerment
- Living on a low income 89
- Hearing but not listening: why charities fail 97
- Responding to cultural diversity 103
- Conquering helplessness: ones and zeros 113
- The myth of easy money: developing financial services that would really help 123
-
Conclusions
- Promising approaches and mechanisms 135
- Index 141
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Contents iii
- Foreword v
- Scope of this book and acknowledgements vii
- List of contributors ix
-
Overview
- Towards a ‘right use of money’ 3
-
The role of money in 21st-century Britain’s economy
- A ‘full investment’ approach 13
- Meeting economic, environmental and social challenges simultaneously 19
- Restoring the link between money, price signals and ethics 29
- Encouraging enterprise and decentralisation 39
-
Ethical dimensions
- Linking money and morality 49
- Encouraging a ‘giving’ culture 55
- Managing the power of money 59
- Money: what is it for? 67
- Returning business ethics and philanthropy to corporate social responsibility 71
- Reducing inequality 79
-
Empowerment
- Living on a low income 89
- Hearing but not listening: why charities fail 97
- Responding to cultural diversity 103
- Conquering helplessness: ones and zeros 113
- The myth of easy money: developing financial services that would really help 123
-
Conclusions
- Promising approaches and mechanisms 135
- Index 141
