Do you find it difficult or tacky to talk about your charitable giving? If so, why? If not, why not?
I used to think of it as crass. I've changed my mind. In our culture, it seems to me that we can listen to frank talk about sexual fetishes, about violence, about religious differences and about politics. We can talk about personal health struggles and we can talk about our innermost thoughts on stage. But ask someone their salary, or how much they gave to the Red Cross, or why they're unable to give... that's considered too personal or too private to discuss.
It's an odd hang-up. One that I think the American public should examine.
So...how about you? Do you find this hard to talk about?
About Me
- Freeman
- Matthew Freeman is a Brooklyn based playwright with a BFA from Emerson College. His plays include THE DEATH OF KING ARTHUR, REASONS FOR MOVING, THE GREAT ESCAPE, THE AMERICANS, THE WHITE SWALLOW, AN INTERVIEW WITH THE AUTHOR, THE MOST WONDERFUL LOVE, WHEN IS A CLOCK, GLEE CLUB, THAT OLD SOFT SHOE and BRANDYWINE DISTILLERY FIRE. He served as Assistant Producer and Senior Writer for the live webcast from Times Square on New Year's Eve 2010-2012. As a freelance writer, he has contributed to Gamespy, Premiere, Complex Magazine, Maxim Online, and MTV Magazine. His plays have been published by Playscripts, Inc., New York Theatre Experience, and Samuel French.
2 comments:
I don;t find it hard to talk about the physics of charitable giving, I do find it hard to talk about the specifics of it. It's the ol' Christian upbringing in me. (A standard Protestant conflation of Mark 12:41-44 and Luke 18:9-14)
But I don't think there's enough talk about criteria.
Ferinstance: As regards theatrical groups, if they are doing work that I would like to see, I do. If they are 2000 miles away, I drop the ticket money in paypal.
I usually ask around my circle of friends to find out what charities they think are particularly effective. I don't talk a lot about what specific amount I give, but since several of my friends work in the nonprofit sector, it's safe to say that I get a lot of appeals, as I'm sure everyone does. I try to balance out between those organizations that are local to Chicago (homeless services groups, reproductive health orgs) and those that are doing work internationally (Doctors Without Borders, Women for Women International, etc.)
I used to be better about attending benefits, but as I get older and as my job requires me to be at the theater four nights a week or more, I tend to just send the check instead.
Kerry
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