Our generation does not want its epitaph to read, 'We kept charity overhead low.' We want it to read that we changed the world.
Interpretation
This quote emphasizes the desire for impactful societal change over merely focusing on low expenses in charity work.
Dan Pallotta argues that the current generation prioritizes meaningful, transformative actions rather than solely maintaining low operational costs in charitable organizations. He suggests that the legacy left behind should reflect significant contributions to the world, rather than just frugality in charity overhead.
In practice
In a speech about philanthropy at a charity event.
We aren't upset when Paramount makes a $200 million movie that flops, but if a charity experiments with a $5 million fundraising event that fails, we call in the attorneys. So charities are petrified of trying bold new revenue-generating endeavors and can't develop the powerful learning curves the for-profit sector can.
When you prohibit failure, you kill innovation. If you kill innovation in fundraising, you can't raise more revenue. If you can't raise more revenue, you can't grow. And if you can't grow, you can't possibly solve large social problems.
We're not short of movements proclaiming that a different world is possible, but unless we can coordinate them into an international movement, capitalism just laughs at all these little organisations.
And when I was angry, when I was younger, I was in a cocoon. Now I'm a beautiful, black butterfly.
When Superstorm Sandy churned up fourteen-foot walls of water that slammed New York's coastal communities in October 2012, they also washed away any false notions we had that we care sufficiently for poor people.
Keeping our eyes on journey's end is what we need - the place where we see at last the world that is greater than the world, the new creation that cannot be contained in present thought or social order or piety.
But why should not the New Englander try new adventures - not lay so much stress on his grain, his potato and grass crop, and his orchards - and raise other crops than these? Why concern ourselves so much about our beans for seed, and not be concerned at all about a new generation of men.
People only seriously consider change when they feel accepted for exactly who they are.
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