Oprah Winfrey recently just showed us how powerful she is financially by donating 40 million dollars to charity through her Oprah Winfrey Foundation for causes including education and programs for women and children. I have always believed that the best donation a person can give are directly to companies and people that need the help rather than to large charities.
It just seems to risky, because it has been proven that large charitable organizations often make the mistake or mismanaging money donated or funds go unaccounted for. Then the next thing is, when a person of wealth donates an overwhelming amount of money to an charitable organization, my thought is not that oh they are doing such a good cause but more so that they are making their yearly contributions in hope of a tax break.
Oprah’s financial giving will help some of those in need of help and believe this was her focus, I believe it is just partial of her focus with the main focus being granted a tax break. If she really wants to help those with such a large contribution, she can go to hospitals that always need financial assistant in buying new equipment and poverity ridden neighbourhood where they lack community entertainment and after school programs in keeping the children out of trouble. These would have been good causes for Oprah to donating the majority of her 40 million dollars to. But I guess we live in a world of business and everyone is always being business minded in thinking about what will benefit them.
Coming in at number two in making “things better” was Novelist Nora Roberts, donating $4.45 million to the Nora Roberts Foundation to support literacy in under served communities. Do you see what is going on here? Nora Roberts donated $4.45 million to the Nora Roberts Foundation, any relation, of course. Business, business, business, no need for us to say anymore. Merly Streep came in next giving $4 million to the Silver Mountain Foundation for the Arts. All these contributions are said to be made in 2009 as being the most recent year financial information was available according to The Giving Back Fund, which compiled the celebrity list.
Here is what the president of the Giving Back Fund had to say:
“There are many generous celebrities, but when you can top a list of celebrity philanthropists three out of four years, as Oprah has, that is saying something,” said Marc Pollick, president of The Giving Back Fund, which creates and professionally manages charitable foundations and other philanthropic programs for entertainers athletes, business entrepreneurs and corporations.
It is always a nice feeling to help others financially, but one has to make sure when giving their funds to help others that it is from the heart and not for their own financial benefit.
What do you think of Oprah’s financial donation, solely dedicated to helping those in need or more focused on gaining a tax break?
