What Would Your Philanthropic Efforts Be?

Maximus Rex
Maximus Rex Members Posts: 6,354 ✭✭✭✭✭
Ponder for a moment that you were a multimillion/billionaire or multi million/billionairess, where would you focus your philanthropy? I wouldn't be on "save the world," type ? . Mine would targeted mainly in my hometown (Richmond, CA or other parts of the Bay,) and in Far Rockaway, NY, maybe other parts of New York City and some other areas.

I would step to the West Contra Costa County Unified School District and the New York City Department of Ed with an offer to buy alma maters. In other words, I would to buy every school I ever went to (from elementary to high) I would turn them into academy style private schools, complete with school uniforms, (blazers and ties included.) They would be tuition free, however the district boundaries would remain intact with a students living within the zones of my alma mater having first choice, but I leave open spots for those that were willing to travel.

The curriculum would stress math, science, computers. In conjunction I would start a district wide science fair and spelling. The goal would be to send kids on to the national competitions. I would put the music programs back in the schools with the same intention in mind of a having nationally recognized program. The hard part would be to get the parents involved.

On the junior and high levels, I would put the home economics, metal and wood shops back in school with a business management component. In the high schools, I would have a free Kaplan or Princeton Review course, and have people from Cal and Standford come in to mentor and teach the kids going to my on how to get in. I've always found it ? up that even Richmond High is only ten miles from Cal, that I didn't know anybody that went there. The same with Far Rockaway High. It would be my personal mission provide these kids with the best education possible. I would also couple the academics with cool extracurricular activities, like a school newspaper, a debate team, a chess team, and figuring out a away to make the sports teams competitive.

For those not interested in going to college, I would a true vocational school, like Job Corp (without the ratchetness,) the vocational school would offer job training in carpentry, plumbing, welding, auto mechanics, stereo installation, culinary, networking, and other ? that can get a ? cool job after graduation. I would get with the unions so that upon graduation, the kids would have their union cards. Again, I would include a business management component, I would want my graduations to look to owning a business, not merely being a "worker bee."

I would sponsor the Little Leagues and pop warner football in these communities, supply the equipment, and maintain the fields. I'd also start a youth basketball program, that also had a summer league. Being that I despise the fact that Chinese are cheating in the Olympics and America had superior athletes, I would start programs in various Olympic sports, like diving, swimming, gymnastics. Considering how ? love doing back flips off of the mattress, the gymnastics would probably prove to be very popular. My Olympic program would be the one I'd try to take nationwide. I'd also start a combat sport school either called the Gladitator School or The Fight Club it would teach kids combat sports, boxing, wrestling, MMA and various disciplines used in it. All of my programs would free of charge.

Like I said earlier, I'd would be trying to "save the world," but I would want to do something in Haiti. I'm not Haitian, but I think that every African and person of African descent should be trying to do something to help Haiti. The reason by is that out of the all of places that slaves were sent in the New World, it was the Haitians that successfully revolted against their slavemasters. I would also want to do something in Liberia since that country was founded by former America slaves. Since I like animals and I would go into big game hunting, I would do something with conservation. Yeah, I know, preserve the environment so I into the arctic, forest, safari, or jungle to I can ? animals, the irony is amazing.

Comments

  • playmaker88
    playmaker88 Members Posts: 67,905 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited June 2013
    ? damn thats alot not to read..

    but id be hands on with my ? .. if i give money it gonna be for a specific thing.. a park.. computers.. etc.. etc.. i wouldnt just write a check and hope for the best..

    id get whats needed instead of depending on people who i cant trust..to do the right thing with the money given.
  • NeighborhoodNomad.
    NeighborhoodNomad. Members Posts: 2,731 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Im actually in the process of getting my NPO established. Everything is still on paper at this point, I just need the funds for the certain licenses and some committed investors/donations of time, tools, and money bto keep the program in motion.

    The NPO is a community garden/urban farming program that would provide fresh, organic, fruits and vegetables for the community for free. The idea is you can freely plant various fruits/vegetables/herbs, and freely take, as long as you're willing to put in the work. Nature gives it to us for free btw.

    It will also be a credit towards community service hours and will give jr. high/high school college credit for participation.

    I also want to put together a curriculum that focuses on each students individual talents/passions/desires, and show them ways to not only harness their craft and turn it into a skill, but to apply it in their everyday life and to make a healthy living doing what they love to do. It will also teach each student value and true self worth.

    The curriculum will emphasize individual excellence and break the thought pattern of going to school to "get a good job"/be someone's employee. It will teach them how to be successful entrepreneurs. There will be lessons in marketing, money management, investing, paying bills, paying taxes, and other things that affect our daily lives as adults.

    I also want to start a career program for convicted felons, and those who have a difficult time being hired for a job they don't even really want, but need. This program will focus less on getting a job, but will help them write their business plans and hopefully give them some small business start-up money to invest into their own future/business.

    The community garden/urban farming is first on the list. It should be official by the end of the year and in motion by early next year.

  • Maximus Rex
    Maximus Rex Members Posts: 6,354 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited June 2013
    Im actually in the process of getting my NPO established. Everything is still on paper at this point, I just need the funds for the certain licenses and some committed investors/donations of time, tools, and money bto keep the program in motion.

    The NPO is a community garden/urban farming program that would provide fresh, organic, fruits and vegetables for the community for free. The idea is you can freely plant various fruits/vegetables/herbs, and freely take, as long as you're willing to put in the work. Nature gives it to us for free btw.

    It will also be a credit towards community service hours and will give jr. high/high school college credit for participation.

    Will there be an entrepreneurial component to this as far as when harvest time comes, taking the produce to a farmer's market and selling it? This is very powerful, ? need to learn how to grow there own food. Gardening used to be a part of culture being that our grandparents came from the South (or other areas,) and they knew how to grow their own food. Since blacks have been city dwellers going for three, maybe four generations, we gotten away from living off of the earth.
    The community garden/urban farming is first on the list. It should be official by the end of the year and in motion by early next year.

    Good luck.

  • NeighborhoodNomad.
    NeighborhoodNomad. Members Posts: 2,731 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Im actually in the process of getting my NPO established. Everything is still on paper at this point, I just need the funds for the certain licenses and some committed investors/donations of time, tools, and money bto keep the program in motion.

    The NPO is a community garden/urban farming program that would provide fresh, organic, fruits and vegetables for the community for free. The idea is you can freely plant various fruits/vegetables/herbs, and freely take, as long as you're willing to put in the work. Nature gives it to us for free btw.

    It will also be a credit towards community service hours and will give jr. high/high school college credit for participation.

    Will there be an entrepreneurial component to this as far as when harvest time comes, taking the produce to a farmer's market and selling it? This is very powerful, ? need to learn how to grow there own food. Gardening used to be a part of culture being that our grandparents came from the South (or other areas,) and they knew how to grow their own food. Since blacks have been city dwellers going for three, maybe four generations, we gotten away from living off of the earth.
    The community garden/urban farming is first on the list. It should be official by the end of the year and in motion by early next year.

    Good luck.

    I've thought about this and I don't know. The only reason I say that is because I want there to be free food for the community even yours (Richmond), especially in the neighborhoods that can benefit from it the most. I was thinking about selling the residual crops in the local farmers markets towards the end of the season/harvest or just donating them to shelters or food pantries.

    I agree that we need to get back to growing our own food and living off the land. We will start to realize how important our environment really is to us.

    I just feel somewhat conflicted about selling something that is continually given to us for free. In the long run it will devalue the power we give to money, and show how valuable this planet and everything is to each other.

    In 30 years I want there to be at least one community garden or place in every city at least in the state (preferably the nation) where free healthy food is available if you're willing to put in a little work for it. This will also address greed because people will have to be willing to share their crop with others and to take only what they need.

    Im kind of a dreamer tho...
  • janklow
    janklow Members, Moderators Posts: 8,613 Regulator
    presumably, it would be gun-oriented
  • LUClEN
    LUClEN Members Posts: 20,559 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I would buy nuclear arms for the homeless. It's unfair that the impoverished don't ever get a chance to own weapons grade plutonium
  • WYRM
    WYRM Members Posts: 993 ✭✭✭✭
    Army Emergency Relief Fund, they saved my ass twice. Probably start an animal rescue and a spay/neuter program with a sliding scale for those economically challenged individuals.
  • CracceR
    CracceR Members Posts: 4,346 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Im actually in the process of getting my NPO established. Everything is still on paper at this point, I just need the funds for the certain licenses and some committed investors/donations of time, tools, and money bto keep the program in motion.

    The NPO is a community garden/urban farming program that would provide fresh, organic, fruits and vegetables for the community for free. The idea is you can freely plant various fruits/vegetables/herbs, and freely take, as long as you're willing to put in the work. Nature gives it to us for free btw.

    It will also be a credit towards community service hours and will give jr. high/high school college credit for participation.

    I also want to put together a curriculum that focuses on each students individual talents/passions/desires, and show them ways to not only harness their craft and turn it into a skill, but to apply it in their everyday life and to make a healthy living doing what they love to do. It will also teach each student value and true self worth.

    The curriculum will emphasize individual excellence and break the thought pattern of going to school to "get a good job"/be someone's employee. It will teach them how to be successful entrepreneurs. There will be lessons in marketing, money management, investing, paying bills, paying taxes, and other things that affect our daily lives as adults.

    I also want to start a career program for convicted felons, and those who have a difficult time being hired for a job they don't even really want, but need. This program will focus less on getting a job, but will help them write their business plans and hopefully give them some small business start-up money to invest into their own future/business.

    The community garden/urban farming is first on the list. It should be official by the end of the year and in motion by early next year.

    Sounds good man good luck with all that.
    -my first efforts would probably be to provide clean drinking water for 3. world countries
    -to start fair trade businesses in poor places
    -get kids off the streets and give them a real perspective

  • professor x
    professor x Members Posts: 149 ✭✭
    research on autism. not a lot is known about this illness; therefore, it doesnt get all of the press that more "mainstream" diseases receive.
  • professor x
    professor x Members Posts: 149 ✭✭
    autism and parkinson's disease..
  • Plutarch
    Plutarch Members Posts: 3,239 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Goat thread. Goat ideas. I like the focus on education as well. If anything is going to improve humanity, it's education.
    research on autism. not a lot is known about this illness; therefore, it doesnt get all of the press that more "mainstream" diseases receive.

    Hm, I always thought autism got too much coverage. It's like the breast cancer of disorders. Got a pretty ribbon and everything. Don't get me wrong. It's a serious condition, and still very much understood. I just think that the coverage it gets is a lot. It's just that some or most of the coverage is not good enough. Anyways, I'd add sickle cell amenia (and other illness that affect minorities more than whites and are thus underrepresented) and mental illness as well. Yes, Parkinson's. But Alzheimer's too. And gotdamn Huntington's as well.
  • Plutarch
    Plutarch Members Posts: 3,239 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I'm a bit of a dreamer too, so I've always dreamt of a five-point plan if I ever become a millionaire/billionaire.

    1. Pay my bills so that I'm no longer a slave.

    2. Pay my parents not necessarily as a payment for raising me but because of the love I have for them.

    3. Make good investments so that my money can grow because scared money don't make no money.

    4. Pay my church so that they continue to their humanitarian efforts to help all peoples and communities and do ? 's work without worrying so much about financial restrictions.

    5. Do whatever the hell I want with my last fifth. I'm no entrepreneur, but I'd be a patron/philanthropist for educators, virtuous churches/mosques/temples/etc., entrepreneurs, progressive politicians, artists, etc. I'd also buy a nice, little place in Hawaii, a nice car, the new Xbox, some nice clothes, etc., and put the rest in a savings account. Quite frankly, I'm not too dissatisfied with my life now, and I like the simple life, so I don't need the big mansion, fancy jewelry, and all that other ? rich people buy.
  • kingblaze84
    kingblaze84 Members Posts: 14,288 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Im actually in the process of getting my NPO established. Everything is still on paper at this point, I just need the funds for the certain licenses and some committed investors/donations of time, tools, and money bto keep the program in motion.

    The NPO is a community garden/urban farming program that would provide fresh, organic, fruits and vegetables for the community for free. The idea is you can freely plant various fruits/vegetables/herbs, and freely take, as long as you're willing to put in the work. Nature gives it to us for free btw.

    It will also be a credit towards community service hours and will give jr. high/high school college credit for participation.

    I also want to put together a curriculum that focuses on each students individual talents/passions/desires, and show them ways to not only harness their craft and turn it into a skill, but to apply it in their everyday life and to make a healthy living doing what they love to do. It will also teach each student value and true self worth.

    The curriculum will emphasize individual excellence and break the thought pattern of going to school to "get a good job"/be someone's employee. It will teach them how to be successful entrepreneurs. There will be lessons in marketing, money management, investing, paying bills, paying taxes, and other things that affect our daily lives as adults.

    I also want to start a career program for convicted felons, and those who have a difficult time being hired for a job they don't even really want, but need. This program will focus less on getting a job, but will help them write their business plans and hopefully give them some small business start-up money to invest into their own future/business.

    The community garden/urban farming is first on the list. It should be official by the end of the year and in motion by early next year.

    Great ? man best of luck on that.....

    I personally want to help build homeless shelters one day, there are so many people out there getting kicked out of their homes these days. I've donated to several charities helping to do this already