I really hate rich people. Or, at least, the entitled asshole attitude so many rich people project – that because they are used to their staff jumping when they snap their fingers, that everyone else must do the same. And then there's the cluelessness about how the world works for regular people. Gah. Hate.
So I saw this article from the UK Guardian as a positive thing. Wealthy people in the UK, especially those involved in London's financial and banking industries, are beginning to teach their kids about philanthropy.
Demand is growing, both because of an increasingly professional approach to philanthropy in Britain, growing numbers of super-wealthy people, and increasing discontent over the growing gap between rich and poor.
Participants in the classes learn about different causes they may want to contribute to, the best ways to make an impact and how to set up charitable giving.
Courses range from three-hour seminars for individual families to 40-hour courses for a group of young people.
One financier who set up a course for his 11 and 13 year old children and gave them a 10,000-pound philanthropy budget said he did it to give them a little more structure and education about charity, instead of abstract notions of doing good. As they learned more, their interests shifted from animals and more abstract issues to children, and they ended up deciding to focus on fighting child abuse.
As our own rich celebs get more and more shallow and horrible (Paris, anybody?) it's good to see that some people actually believe in using money for good.
