I shared my “Everyday Heroes” interview on my Facebook page last week, and I really wasn’t sure what kind of reaction I would get, since I don’t think many of my friends are even aware of the EA movement. All of the comments I received were positive and supportive, with a few even indicating this would increase their charitable giving. Here are a few comments:
“this has also made me add up what I’ve actually donated this year and I guess I need to step it up a bit”. “You’re spreading the word, so don’t feel uncomfortable, Pete. Good on you, man!” “I’m going to show this to our family, Pete. What a role model as a neighbor and a friend!”
This feedback has convinced me to keep being public about my giving, and I hope it will inspire others to be public about giving as well.
I took the Giving What We Can pledge last month. Prior to this I had an agreement with my wife that each of us could contribute 1⁄2 of 10% of our combined income to charities as we each see fit. This agreement has eliminated conflicts between us when trying to decide where to donate, but I realized it really wasn’t a firm commitment to actually donate. Also, I believe that signing the GWWC pledge will tend to have a positive effect on encouraging others to take the pledge.