Trusted to continue his ministry

Wealthy should trust beneficiaries

On this Easter weekend, I wish I could talk directly to the people with the money. I mean the owners of mega-corporations, the high paid executives who manage them and the heads of well-endowed foundations responsible for distributing some small portion of the vast wealth that has accrued to those corporations and individuals.

What I’d like to say is simple: give your money away, much more than you currently give and make it very easy for those with the most need to access it.

Given that many of you make hundreds of thousands if not millions of dollars per year, I assume that you believe it’s important to make good money to live well. Yet the way corporations are now structured, lowest wage workers are paid such a small hourly wage they can’t afford to live on their income.

Studies indicate the best way to alleviate poverty is … cash. Universal basic income has been tested repeatedly and it works. Programs have been run all over the world and consistently show that when you give people cash, especially a lump sum up front instead of doling it out over months, most are resourceful enough to use that direct financial assistance to improve their situation.

If you want to alleviate poverty in our communities, start with your own form of universal basic income. Pay your workers a lot more. Tighten the belt on the exorbitant salaries paid to executives, tap into the billions you have in reserves, and pay employees enough for them to no longer be poor.

Then, and only then, if you have sufficient resources to fund foundations, do the same through them.

Currently the grant-making platforms of some of the largest foundations in Northwest Arkansas require dozens of hoops to jump through for nonprofits to receive funds, often ham-stringing the organizations with a variety of rules around how the funds can be utilized.

If you trust them, then just give them money. Allow them to decide on the best possible use of the funds. Give the nonprofits alleviating poverty and homelessness direct support without having to go through rounds of letter-writing and grant applications.

Finally, advocate for policies that ensure social safety nets. Many of the best in our country and around the world are supported by a just distribution of wealth via the creative tension between public and private.

Some of the largest corporate donors already fund food lockers at area nonprofits. Why not place them in front of big box stores and make as much food free as is needed available to alleviate hunger in our community?

When Christ died and was raised, Christ trusted God with whatever would come after his crucifixion, and he entrusted humanity with the message of his cross and the continuation of his ministry. We can take this as a model, and those with wealth and resources and power can, if they wish, release it to those in need, trusting them to make their own decisions.