Every one sooner or later has fantasized about winning the lottery or some distant relative leaving you a fortune. Have you taken that fantasy any further to practicality? I know of some people who have thought the fantasy through very carefully depending on the sum. A margarita fueled fantasy gab fest is really fun, but haven’t we all read about the misery that some lottery winners endure? Haven’t we all watched Lost and felt the pain of Hurley?
What if your unexpected windfall was from someone very dear and near to you and you wanted to honor that person? I think this is a whole new concept from the fantasy or lottery winnings. Would it change your financial plans on giving and spending?
Jill Ginsberg received a windfall from her Mother when she died unexpectedly. Her Mother happened to be a Holocaust survivor. Jill calls herself a cheapskate, but in reality she is like most of us, working, saving, and spending with-in our means. The dilemma that presented Jill was how to honor her Mother with this money. Hundreds of hundreds was born. http://www.hundredsofhundreds.com/
Jill started in October, 2010 giving $100.00 every day for the month. Reading her daily blog is heartwarming and I recommend a hankie! Jill’s daily blog about the people and her thoughts are wonderful. I think it is the best daily blog I ever read!
Here is a quote from Jill:
“When I got this unexpected gift, I wanted to do something different, to make a difference for others and also for myself. My family and I have given charitably for years and will continue to do so. There are lots of wonderful organizations out there and we support some every year (I even started a non-profit). So, it's not like I don't believe in the power of organizations to make change.
Giving the money away $100 at a time to strangers was pretty much the craziest thing I could think of; it went against everything we've practiced as "strategic philanthropists" but there was something about it that seemed like a great challenge.”
Here are the rules Jill uses for her gifting:
• The recipient is a stranger, and someone I am not likely to see again
• I must have a conversation with the recipient (ie can’t just leave a big tip)
• I can’t venture away from my routine in search of a recipient
• The gift is not in response to a request (in person, writing, etc)
Jill has started giving $100 bills away again. What a great legacy for her Mother and for Jill Ginsberg!
Could you do what Jill is doing? Reading her blog she discusses what her thought patterns are and her impressions. Like much of life it seems easy enough until you actually try to do it and the challenges become perfectly clear. I am in awe of Jill and asked her permission to blog about her mission. She of course said “of course”!
All user-generated information on this site is the opinion of its author only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for any medical conditions. Members and guests are responsible for their own posts and the potential consequences of those posts detailed in our Terms of Service.
Add a Comment2 Comments
Alison, I think acts of kindness are ways to pay it forward too! A nice hello and thank-you can truly make some one's day.
March 15, 2011 - 3:53pmThis Comment
This is a great story, and I would love to hear from other women how they "pay it forward" in other ways (not necessarily involving money). There are so many ways that we can all "pay it forward" through daily random acts of kindness, helping others (even if it is inconvenient for us), and even just by being good role models for others around us.
I can think of many subtle ways that I pay-it-forward, but a very deliberate way was when I was planning to become pregnant with my second child, I used that year to make and deliver meals to literally two dozen new moms through my various Mom's Clubs, as my way to say "thank you in advance" to the moms I knew would be delivering meals to me and my family when our new son was born.
What ways do others "pay it forward"?
March 6, 2011 - 8:56pmThis Comment