The Philanthropist Next Door
April 2, 2008
This editoral appeared in The Rocky Mountain News on March 28, 2008.
In the recent article, “Anschutz’s $23 Million Tops Donors in Colorado,” Joanne Kelley, the Rocky Mountain News philanthropy reporter, listed the major givers in Colorado. She noted that while Phil Anschutz gave $23 million to charitable causes, Marvin Caruthers gave $20 million and Tim Gill $11million, the “affluent, particularly those worth billions of dollars, give away far less than they can afford.”
I have not found that beating people over the head is a particularly good motivational tactic. To me it is amazing that millionaires and billionaires give so much to philanthropic causes. Rather than focus on the philanthropic defects of the rich and famous, let’s celebrate the fact that last year, Americans at every income level combined donated more than $250 billion dollars to our nation’s 1.4 million nonprofit organizations.
I believe that instead of decrying the philanthropists we already have, Colorado can lead the way to a new spirit of philanthropy—one that includes the moviegoers as well as the opera patrons. United Way of America started right here in Denver, when in 1887 the first dean of Saint John’s Cathedral, along with Monsignor William O’Ryan of St. Leo the Great Catholic Church, the Reverend Myron W. Reed of the 1st Congregational Church, and Rabbi William S. Friedman of Temple Emanuel, had an idea that by coming together to raise money as a community they could achieve more than with many separate appeals. Their unique “Denver Charity Organization,” renamed The United Way, is now one of the largest charitable fundraising organization in the world.
