I am so aware these days, after the Great Recession has receded, that there is a whole lot of money to be had for various projects large and small. Folks who were tight with their money are more expansive, big business is too. Philanthropy is expanding.
The destitute are still standing by the side of the road with their cardboard signs, asking for money. Some dysfunctional families in our communities still cannot manage to keep their lives on track and care for their kids and keep a car functional. Pay day lenders are still in business. Drugs make everything worse.
How do we address this disconnect? You cannot throw money towards some of this. People need to have decently paying work and have the means to buy into success. Raising the minimum wage will go a long way and raise the economic floor.
Education is, of course, the key. So much of our philanthropy can and will go to making sure that the next generation will be able to go to college or get training for some useful work in our society.
I am always asking the question about every 'great' idea, "How does this work?" I want to know the pragmatic bottom line. If you get the grant, what will it lead to? If you have the funds, where and how will it be spent?
In our community/school garden, we seem to have plenty of dollars to do whatever we need (through grants and contributions), but what we really need is a time commitment from local folks who will show up on a regular basis.
The society of humans is so far behind the scrappy digital world!
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