What You Need To Know About The Giving Pledge

Philanthropy is a matter of volition. The Giving Pledge initiative is a step towards the contributive participation of the wealthy in the development of society. However, the world becomes involved whenever the rich undertake philanthropic endeavors. Around this, several debates from a philosophical point of view emerge, questioning whether the rich are obligated to contribute their income to philanthropy. People argue that the rich should engage more in the initiative, but that is another domain of discussion. But, those who contribute to the initiative attract a lot of limelight.
By now, you must have recalled hearing ‘The Giving Pledge.’ Quite often, some billionaires pledge to contribute a significant portion of their wealth to address major problems with which the world grapples. But what exactly is it? What issues does it address? Who has contributed to the Pledge? In today’s article, we shall uncover all these critical aspects of the Giving Pledge. 

1. Okay, let us start from scratch
   Alright, let us get on with it from the start. The Giving Pledge invites billionaires worldwide to contribute a majority of their wealth to social causes. The Giving Pledge allows the world’s most influential people to connect, discuss issues of global importance, and strategize and implement. Under the scheme of the initiative, the wealthy can contribute during their lifetime or after death. Thus, these individuals are expected to possess clarity around their philanthropic goals, which are explained in a public letter. 

2. A Brief History 
   The Pledge was created by Bill Gates, Melinda French Gates, and Warren Buffet in 2010. By August 2010, they were able to recruit as many as 40 pledges to the tune of USD 125 billion. The numbers grew considerably in the coming years. By 2017, 158 persons were already listed in the initiative. Not every listed individual was a billionaire. As of now, a whopping 230 individuals have made this commitment. It is to be noted that commitment to the Pledge does not entail a legal contract. 

3. Signatories of the Pledge 
   The list is quite illustrious. The pledgers include Elon Musk, Warren Buffet, Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan, Sanford and Joan Weill, MacKenzie Scott, David Rockefeller, George Lucas, Melinda Gates, David Green, Anil Agarwal, and Azim Premji. 

4. Response to the Initiative
   The Giving Pledge has received acclaim as well as criticism. Acclaim because it encourages the wealthy to publicly commit to philanthropic goals and work against the concentration of wealth. Criticism, well, there are reasons not entirely without foundation. For instance, The Giving Pledge does not mandate the enforcement of the Pledge because there is no legal contract in place. Moreover, the donors have the liberty to transfer their donations to a family foundation or specific funds of their choice. In the absence of enforcement, many people regard the Pledge as a mere gimmick. 

5. Social causes
   An array of social causes can be subject to the Pledge. These commitments can be made towards poverty alleviation, global health, women empowerment, criminal justice, environmental sustainability, global health, refugee aid, arts and culture, and medical research. The Pledge does not mandate contributions to specific non-profits. However, several pledgers have been regularly giving away a certain sum as part of the Pledge. For instance, MacKenzie Scott has donated more than SUD 12 billion to charitable causes since 2019.

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