Wow!
 

My apologies to the OP. America's Friendliest town. Could not tell from this thread.

It was a simple question, one that obviously had some thought put into it and I believe deserved a respectful answer and if you don't have one, don't say anything. Sometimes not saying anything is a more powerful message...please note the number of times I have posted.

As for my 2 cents, I would say to the OP, outside of Florida, most do not know the Morse Family and a lot of wealthy and those of us that are not so wealthy like me give to charity anonymously. I too have a lot of admiration to those that give big to charities, but there is also something to be said about doing it in a quiet and humble way.

Best regards-Katie

I haven't read anyone being mean in commenting on the OP's question, but when you ask a provocative question you will get strong opinions back. I agree with those who say it isn't any of our business. Why is it people with wealth are held to a different standard? I certainly don't want anyone snooping into my finances and judging me, good or bad, it's none of anyone's business.

Welcome to the forum
Your 1st post
Your 1st day. just now signed up. ?

I'm sorry. I really disagree ! Any time people start Googling people about their money, it's not right. I can't imagine wondering what you do with your money anymore than anyone should wonder what I do with my money or what the Morse's do with their money.
BTW, welcome to the forum. :)

...

On the broader topic of charity... Wouldn't the most charitable donations be given to organizations or persons with no connection to your own family or faith? Giving to your own church or to a medical organization researching a disease you have or the symphony or zoo you regularly visit is wonderful. Giving to some distant and non-personal charity, IMO, is more credit worthly. Charity in making the world a better place with no other benefit for yourself seems to be the highest form of giving. It needn't be money. Sometimes your time is the best gift to give. However, in Western culture there is a tradition of the nobility being expected to give back to the less well off (noblesse oblige). That is what the OP was asking. Carnegie built libraries, Rockefeller created the Rockefeller Foundation to promote the well-being of humanity. The OP listed several present examples of the wealthy giving back to the general well being, not just to charities that give the donor a direct benefit. It was in that spirit that I hope the question was asked and not that the "family" strongly financially supports the political party which promotes a decreased role of govenment in supporting the less fortunate with the burden to be taken up by private charities and organizations.

:popcorn: Be careful this thread doesn't turn political.

I believe it is more important to be concerned about what "I" am doing to make the world a better place then what others or doing or not doing.:)

Googled my name
 

Hey I googled my name & charitable contribution.
Nothing came up
How can that be.
Sarah Mclachlan alone gets in my wallet on a regular bases.
Can it be that the internet / google ain't the end all know all.

I might like to contribute to some of the charities the Morses do because... well, they might be areas I am interested in, or I might like to support charities he is interested in because I think he has done a great job and I could join him in his areas of charitable interest.

There are many reasons why someone might Google what charities a wealthy person contributes to, and I don't think it's wrong to do so. In fact, I might try to find out if he supports anything in MI, since he's from there. I might find a charity in like to, since we have lived there since 1987 but didn't hear about him till we came down here.

JMHO

And furthermore, this was an easy Google search result, first page.

Developer Pays So Others Can Play
By Herky Cush of The Sentinel Staff, April 18, 1999
LADY LAKE - One million smackers.Gary Morse, developer of The Villages, is putting up big bucks for a charity tournament today featuring three of the top LPGA golfers. Hall of Fame golfer Nancy Lopez will be pitted against Juli Inkster and Helen Alfredsson in the $1 million Villages Charity Challenge.The three will tee off at 10 a.m. at the Tierra del Sol Golf and Country Club. Tickets for the event are $10.The tournament will be televised on a tape-delayed basis by FOX Sport Net from 2 to 4 p.m. June 26 and rebroadcast at another date to be determined.

The players also donated 90% of the prize money to charity. Also from a Google search.

Amen!!! :bigbow:

Jesus made it very clear that you should NOT do your good works just to be seen of other men. You should do your good works in private.

I care about one thing with respect to TV and the developer...am I getting value from the money I spend. (And I feel like that's up to me or I shouldn't spend the money in the first place.) If I am, then I don't care how much money the developer makes or what he does with it.

:BigApplause: