In my late 20s, I found myself thousands of dollars in debt; first unemployed, and then underemployed as a laborer. It was good and honest work, but stretched both my wallet and my core beliefs.
I needed to answer a key question: “With so little for myself, do I still carve out some small amount to help others?”
Each week, balancing a stack of bills and past-due notices against my small paycheck, I made the decision to carve out the first dime of every dollar for charity. As weeks slipped into months, and I slowly chipped through a mountain of debt, I was amazed at how far 90 percent of my income could stretch when I helped others with the first 10 percent.
This past week, the NewTithing Group released a study of six California regions, including Silicon Valley. Rather than measure the giving habits of the poor, as I was in my late 20s, they instead looked at those with wealth – earning individual or household incomes exceeding $200,000.
Their conclusion; Los Angeles is more generous than the Bay Area or Silicon Valley, with median charitable contributions totaling just 1 percent.
My conclusion: What a sad statement about all the regions. As individuals, employers and a community, it’s time that those of us who call Silicon Valley home took stock in how we can better serve those in the homes around us. Or, more often than we might realize, those around us with no homes at all.
Fortunately, a New Year offers a new start – in our giving habits, our priorities and our personal and corporate budgets. Let me share some simple suggestions:
Prepare a budget. Each year, my wife and I prepare a family budget during the holidays. We realized early on if it’s not in the budget, it’s not likely to happen. Carefully consider an amount to invest in others.
Make giving your first priority. We will always have “needs” and “wants” that outstrip our income. If giving is your last priority, it is your lowest priority.
Determine the right amount. The study cited by the NewTithing Group offers instruction. The term “tithing,” as many of us from faith traditions ranging from Judaism, Islam or Christianity recognize, is an Old Testament term meaning 10 percent. That may sound too steep for some, and not enough for others, but each of us can determine an appropriate amount that also stretches us slightly.
It’s not just money. The finances are vital, but equally important as our treasure is our time and talent. Yes, cut that check – but also carve out a few hours each month to serve on a non-profit board, help at a community center, or volunteer in a shelter or school. Discover how your money helps others: Place a face with the dollars you donate.
One of my favorite executives invests time with his wife and kids not only in art museums and athletic fields, but volunteering as a family serving food. Since they serve throughout the year, his children recognize that other kids aren’t hungry just during the holidays, but every day.
We must also build corporate cultures that recognize and reward community investment.
Seagate CEO Bill Watkins not only serves on a local non-profit board, but encourages each member of his executive team to do likewise. This climate for community service permeates Seagate’s corporate culture. Suddenly, not only is giving an accepted practice, it is a core value preached and practiced from the seasoned executive to the newest hire. Giving isn’t something you discover once you are rich or retired, but an essential element ingrained in each employee.
Silicon Valley must step forward – as individuals and employers.
As families, let’s teach our kids that whatever our station in life, there are many more with less.
On any given night in 2006, Santa Clara County was home to more than 1,500 homeless people, tens of thousands of hungry and undernourished seniors, and 400,000 residents living in poverty. The good news? In 2007, we can change those numbers. It starts today – and it starts with you.
