These brief remarks are for those who’ve asked me to summarize the main themes in my book,
What Your Money Means and How to Use It Well (Frank J. Hanna, III, Crossroad Publishing, 2008).

A friend calls asking me to give to his favorite charity.

“Sure! I’ll send $1,000.” 

A week later another friend calls, and I promise him a contribution, too.

I hang up and wonder whether I made that last donation just to get someone off my back. Did I give enough? Was I properly motivated?

Like you, I’m willing to share my wealth.  We want to help the needy, and, while providing for our families, contribute to others as much as we ought to give. But the casual ways we do so — a contribution here, work with a charity there — bother me. I didn’t grow rich handling money haphazardly; I ought not to be giving it away haphazardly.

We have strict standards by which to judge the business projects we invest in; that’s one reason we’ve done so well. Shouldn’t we approach the challenge of charity in the same way? If so, how can we do it? Do you have a solid, differentiated answer to that question?

If not, then stick around. For that;s just the question we will address here in the coming weeks.