Why are there so many ifs in this breakdown[5]? According to the pledge the donation can happen either during the lifetime or after the death of the donor[6]. And its website, givingpledge.org, says “it is a moral commitment to give, not a legal contract.[7]” So, with the Buffett-Gates pledge, the timing and scope is unclear.
Its real value, as the website indicates, is in the knock-on effect[8]: “While the Giving Pledge is specifically focused on billionaires, the idea takes its inspiration from efforts in the past and at present that encourage and recognize givers of all financial means and backgrounds. We are inspired by the example set by millions of Americans who give generously (and often at great personal sacrifice) to make the world a better place.”
On the website, each billionaire-donor posts a letter explaining their decision to pledge. “During even the Depression’s worst years, my parents gave money— about 8 percent of their annual income of $2,200,” Mr. Lorry I. Lokey[9] wrote. “I remember saying to my mother that we can’t afford that. But she said we have to share with others. I learned from that to share.”
The pledge, however, has been criticized in Germany. “For most people that is too ostentatious,” said one of the billionaires contacted by Gates, adding that many of the people contacted had already donated larger proportions of their assets than the Americans to charitable foundations.[10] Obviously, not everyone wishes to make a public declaration of support, and this most likely includes individuals who have already made substantial[11] gifts to charity.
【“捐赠宣言”:慈善并没那么简单】相关文章:
★ 外刊阅读“形体政治学”选自《经济学人》(Gesture politics)
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