The life you can save Chapter 5

1. By Thomas Bosson And Pravan Chugani The life you can saveChapter 5

2. 50% League • Chris and Anne Ellinger started the league. • Publicizing the donations • Large donations lead to plaque instead of selfless donations.

3. Putting a Face on the Needy • A British group called Foster Parents Plan was founded to help children in developing countries. A donor or “foster parent” would give money for food and clothing to a child abroad in exchange for letters from there child that they were helping. • If they stopped donating then there child in particular would suffer • This way seemed to be effective because a person was responsible for a singe child. • The system was reformed so that “Your money does not go to the individual child that you sponsor. So that Plan can make efficient use of funds, the money is pooled with contributions from other sponsors to support programs benefiting communities world wide.” (70)

4. Self-interested Donations • Other people donate out of selfish reasons • ex. $100 in envelope slash research for illness that only affected women • Whether humans are capable of genuine altruism is not as important as managing our own interests.

5. Important Quote “the kind of change Chris Ellinger sought to effect when… launched the 50% league…in order to inspire others and change expectations about what is ‘normal’ or ‘reasonable’ amount to give.” (67) “When celebrities like Angelina Jolie or Madonna support organizations that help the poor, we look for hidden selfish reasons. We readily agree with the suggestion that they are doing it only for the publicity.” (74)

6. Discussion Questions • Do you think that organizations such as the 50% league or the Foster Parents Plan are large steps to curing world poverty or do people regard them as a way to become known as philanthropists?