Robin Hood Was Right: A Guide to Giving Your Money for Social Change - Hardcover

Collins, Chuck; Rogers, Pam; Garner, Joan P.

4.22

23 ratings by Goodreads

9780393048278: Robin Hood Was Right: A Guide to Giving Your Money for Social Change

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0393048276 ISBN 13: 9780393048278

Publisher: W W Norton & Co Inc, 2000

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Collins, Pam Rogers, and Joan P. Garner, all longtime activists and directors of social change organizations, show that traditional charity most often reinforces the status quo and maintains the dynamics of dependency and control. They maintain that the progressive ethic of giving, on the other hand, offers ingenious ways to attack the root causes of social problems. Step-by-step explanations of how to be a deliberate and progressive giver address topics such as learning how to assess what one can give, investing proactively, making a socially beneficial will, understanding tax-wise giving, when and how to find help and guidance, and making an actual funding plan. The book contains many anecdotes and cartoons. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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Review:

Veteran activists Chuck Collins and Pam Rogers show that charity dollars can make a huge difference if they are used for lasting social change. In Robin Hood Was Right, Collins and Rogers question the results of decades of traditional philanthropy. They write, "We give to help the poor, but poverty prevails. We contribute to save the environment, but corporate destruction of our land and waters continues. We donate to shelters, but millions remain homeless." The two call for new ways of giving, ones that "close the divide between rich and poor." That means giving to an emerging group of "social change foundations" that tackle the root causes of poverty and other injustices by working to increase affordable housing and raise the minimum wage.

Robin Hood Was Right is a practical guide to donating for change. It features profiles of foundations, a worksheet to figure out how much you can afford to give, a list of resources for the socially responsible investor, and even a section on how to set up a family charitable foundation if you have more than $1 million to donate. The book also includes cartoons and notable quotes about giving, such as this saying from oil baron J. Paul Getty: "Money is like manure: It's only good if it's spread around." This is a wonderful book for people considering donating in order to right social and economic injustice, whether they can give hundreds or millions of dollars a year. --Dan Ring

About the Author:

Chuck Collins co-directs the United for a Fair Economy project; Pam Rogers is the special projects coordinator at the Haymarket People's Fund in Boston, one of the oldest social change foundations in the United States. They live in the Boston area. Joan P. Garner directs the Atlanta-based Southern Partners Fund, which supports community-based social change organizations across an eleven-state region in the Southeast.

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