The Freedom to Choose What You Support
I have been watching so many shows and reading articles about America's 250th birthday and our history lately, and it has had me thinking.
There is something about this particular holiday, 250 years, that feels different. It is not just another Fourth of July. It is a chance to actually sit back and ask what all of this meant. And somewhere in the middle of my scrolling, my brain did the thing it always does. It landed on philanthropy.
Because here is what kept nagging at me. So much of what makes this country what it is comes down to one simple idea. You get to choose what you believe in. And you get to choose what you support.
Nobody hands you a list and tells you which causes matter and which ones don’t. Nobody tells you who you are allowed to build community with at any given time. That freedom, the freedom to organize around what you care about and put your time, your voice, and your money behind it, has just always been there.
I do not pretend to be a constitutional scholar, I leave that up to friends who have more knowledge than me. But, I know this. Two hundred and fifty years ago this country began on principles of freedom to choose their own causes and communities and to hopefully build something good. And honestly? We did.
This is not a small thing
Think about it. Long before there were 501(c)(3)s and tax-deductions and giving societies, there were people forming churches, guilds, and communities simply because they could. Nobody had to grant permission. Nobody got to tell them which cause was worth their energy and which one was not.
You got to decide that for yourself. You always have. And 250 years later, you still do.
While this is a scarf of fake money, I am happy to have a choice of where to give my philanthropic dollars
I’m not sure we say that out loud enough. Every time someone writes a check to a food bank, joins a board, shows up to a gala, or quietly funds a scholarship, they are living out something pretty special. Something a lot of people around the world still do not get to do.
So as this milestone birthday happens tomorrow, I am not just thinking about freedom as word from a textbook. I am thinking about it in the very specific, real way because I get to see it every single day, in my own little corner of the world.
I see this freedom in action constantly
In my business, I get to work every day with individuals who want to make an impact. For some, it’s $25 and for others it could be a $1 million and anything in between. I’ve had a lot of favorite moments, when you see a person’s eye twinkle or fill with tears when they are able to create something impactful and memorable to them or their family. I remember meeting with a couple who was about to make a commitment of $20,000 to an organization and when I shared with them how they could use their IRA required minimum distribution to make an even bigger impact, that gift went from $20,000 to $100,000 with in 48 hours. The excitement they felt about being able to do something they both believed in was so inspiring and gratifying for me as professional.
That is what this freedom looks like up close. It is a person, in a room, deciding a mission is worth their support. It’s them making a meaningful contribution. They were educated about the need but nobody had to talk them into it. They just got to choose.
Philanthropy might be the best birthday gift this country ever gave itself
Here is the thing I keep coming back to as I watch all these 250th anniversary specials. A culture of giving cannot exist without a culture of freedom. You cannot have a Fox Tucson Theatre, Girl Scouts, a Dark Sky initiative or a Newman Catholic Center thriving for decades, or in the Newman Center's case, an entire century, without people who were free to choose those organization, again and again, gift after gift.
That feels worth celebrating this year. That feels worth protecting.
So however you spend this Fourth of July, whether it is a parade, a pool, or just some quiet time on the porch, take a second to think about what you are free to build. Who you are free to support. What kind of community you get to help create simply because this country, 250 years in, still says you can.
Have a Safe and Happy July 4th
Keep Doing Good Work
