What inspires you to give… money?  I wonder …

This week’s weekly wonder may seem odd, as money is one of many ways to give;  but I am really curious about benefactors’ motivation when I see plaques on buildings with the name of the donor. This question came to life with my own family.  On a recent trip to my home town, we drove by the small church our family attended when I was a child.   My father grumbled a few words about this institution. They no longer attend this church and have not been members for many years. But during one period in his life and the lives of my grand-parents, the family was very active.  You see, a plaque bearing the name of my grandparents once hung on the wall of the church. Obviously they donated money to this organization.   My father was miffed, that during one of the renovations about 20 years ago, the plaque was removed, and never put back on the wall. No doubt the plaque was thrown away.

I can appreciate his disappointment. And I can also wonder – when does a building last forever? How long do memorials really last? What really leaves a legacy?  I’m not mocking or judging gifts given with the expectation of being honored with a plaque, including my family. I am pointing to the underlying motivation, though. It seems to me that when the underlying motivation to give is offered without the expectation of any return, rather than one on the wall of a building, that’s when the gift lasts forever.

So, back to my original question. When you give money, what’s underneath the gift and is giving enough?  I wonder.