Giving Thanks

From CARIBBEAN BUSINESS THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2008

BY GUIOMAR GARCÍA, ED.D. & JANICE PETROVICH, ED.D.

“God” is the answer that businessman Jaime Mrtí provides to the question: “What motivates you to be a philanthropist?”

Martí is chairman of Reliable Financial Services, a subsidiary of Wells Fargo & Co. He credits his Christian values as the source of the impulse to “distribute goods, resources and talent to benefit all of society.”

Mí established his own foundation, Fundación Jaime Martí Inc., and also created Fundación Reliable as a joint venture between the administration and the staff of the corporation. The donations from these foundations help people overcome their disadvantages so they can “do for themselves.” Martí seeks to provide others with the opportunities from which he benefi ted, though he is quick to clarify that his intent is for beneficiaries to take on the responsibility of developing themselves. “The greatest harm one can do to human beings is to do for them what they can do for themselves,” Martí says.

Lourdes Miranda says she doesn't know where her charitable impulse comes from, but she recalls always feeling a need to serve others. “I have been blessed with opportunities and I have the responsibility of passing on some of my blessings to help the larger society,” she says.

Miranda notes she had many influences in her life that helped shape her philanthropic strategies, including the schools she attended, religious teachings and particular individuals. However, she remembers her philanthropic drive has been there since she was a little girl. After retiring from a successful career during which she established her own company in the Washington, D.C. area, Miranda returned to Puerto Rico and, in 1993, created the foundation that bears her name. The Miranda Foundation supports nonprofit organizations that help strengthen civil society in Puerto Rico.

A prominent Puerto Rican businessman, founder of a leading integrated construction services company in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, he also has dedicated much of his private wealth to philanthropy, but prefers to remain anonymous. “What motivates me is a desire to help others” Business is tough and toughens people; you spend a lot of time fighting to get things done. If by nature you are generous, you look for a way to help, always respecting others, getting personally involved, understanding their situation.” He, too, expressed the same desire to “give back” and identified “spiritual” reasons and “Christian values” as a source of his desire to help others. He and his wife, for many years, have supported the education of promising young students with limited financial resources, providing them full scholarships to pursue studies in music institutions. Today, the couple often has the opportunity to attend concerts where they listen with joy to those they once supported.

People of all cultures demonstrate the desire to give and also to alleviate human suffering. This was evident in the huge global outpouring of help for victims of the tsunami in 2004. Roberto Clemente, who many consider Puerto Rico's best baseball player of all time, died in a plane crash in 1972 on his way to deliver aid to earthquake victims in Nicaragua. More recently, contributions by Puerto Ricans to the victims of the four back-to-back hurricanes in Haiti generated so many donations of clothing, medicines and household goods that numerous shipping containers were filled with these donated goods and sent to the neighboring country. The organizations that coordinate relief efforts confi rm Puerto Ricans are unfailingly generous.

Some who make donations may do so for reasons other than altruism, including social recognition, the interest in developing new networks and connections with powerful people or the desire to obtain tax benefits. However, people probably give for a combination of reasons, some selflessly and others perhaps more self-serving.

In Puerto Rico, as in the mainland U.S., the majority of donations go to religious institutions. This is perhaps not surprising given the strong directives by many religious traditions for their faithful to consistently support their church. Recent survey data on nonprofit organizations in Puerto Rico indicate 30% of donors reported contributing to churches, according to Estudios Técnicos, a local economic consultancy firm.

After churches, the largest recipients of contributions appear to be large, well-established charities that are chapters of national and international organizations. People who give to these charities often do so because they trust these institutions will use their donations wisely and effectively.

All the major religions of the world encourage philanthropy, the love of humankind. It isn't surprising then to find many people who make charitable contributions also worship regularly. However, religious motivation is only one of the many reasons for giving.

Like Miranda a Mí, many philanthropists indicate they have been fortunate and feel a responsibility to share their good fortune. Lilly Zeller, longtime philanthropist and host of the weekly radio program “Hablando de Philanthropy” (Talking about Philanthropy) also believes in enriching the lives of others as well as her own. “It is away of advocating for specific quality-of-life issues. I'm passionate about the Third Sector, while others may be more passionate about politics. It's a way of giving back to communities.” Zeller also talks about being “grateful for the many blessings” in her life, and explains: “philanthropy allows me to promote advocacy around specific challenging areas such as education, health and social services” It is a social investment that yields a better world.” •

Organizations that respondents identified as receiving their donations during the past 12 months (includes the 10-most frequently identified)

Churches 30.6%

Red Cross 13.3%

SER de Puerto Rico 13.3%

Those that work with children 9.2%

American Cancer Society, P.R. Chapter 5.1%

Salvation Army 4.1%

Muscular Dystrophy Association 3.1%

World Vision 3.1%

Puerto Rican Lung Association 2.0%

Children International 2.0%

Crea 2.0%

Fondos Unidos 2.0%

Source: Estudios Técnicos, “Estudios de las Necesidades Sociales en

Puerto Rico, 2007” (Study on Puerto Rico's Social Needs, 2007)

Why do people give? In his book “Strategic Giving,” Peter Frumkin describes two ways to understand the reasons why people give; one has to do with a private need to express our values, get outside our own personal needs and contribute to what we care about most. Another reason to donate is the public function of philanthropy, in which a person uses private funds as a way to have an impact on our society by effecting change, innovation, redistribution or pluralism.

Editor's note: This article is part of a monthly series, researched and prepared by the Flamboyán Foundation and brought to you by CARIBBEAN BUSINESS in an effort to increase understanding and involvement in philanthropy. We welcome your comments and suggestions for future topics at info@fl amboyanfoundation. Org and editor@caribbeanbusinesspr.com.