The Lilienthals are still trying to set up a project in
Anguilla, but so far the school has neither computers nor fans. New light bulbs
and linoleum have yet to appear, and the couple is now considering other options
for giving to the community. In May, just when they were about to give up on the
school, Sallie received a call from the principal, who said they "were making
good progress" on the list of potential donors. The Lilienthals and the school
are talking about organizing a fundraising event next summer, but the couple
realizes this stage could drag on.
"Maybe starting small is better than starting big," Peter says.
"Maybe if we had started out and bought the light bulbs and bought the fans and
put in the linoleum floor, they’d say, ‘Wow, these people are real.’" Meanwhile,
he has offered to donate InTouch services to the Anguilla police to help collect
anonymous crime tips.
"I don’t give up easily," he says. "I still feel that those of
us who have second homes, who do have a mentality, a philosophy, of giving back
to our communities, if we want them to thrive like the communities we live in,
we have to do something."
It is easy to see need in a
poor country or community and conclude that, if poverty is causing the problem,
money must be able to solve it. But studies conducted by Prudence Brown at the
University of Chicago and other experts show that one of the most important
assets a donor can employ is the ability to build alliances and relationships
within the community and in accordance with the local cultural perspective.
Brown says the two most important qualities a philanthropist
needs in a foreign country are relationship skills and a "learning stance." By
that she means excessive curiosity, a capacity for learning alongside grantees
and the ability to take in new information and shift viewpoints when
necessary. Brown also warns against allowing a sense of inspiration and ambition—both
positive qualities of philanthropists—to outweigh considerations of available
resources and realistic outcomes. It isn’t just that the road to failed donor
efforts is paved with good intentions. It’s a matter of tempering visions of
meaningful, lasting social change with a reality check on how quickly the
society is prepared to incorporate those changes.
Randy B. Hecht is a freelance writer based in Brooklyn.
Illustration by Jim Frazier.
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Before You Write the Check
