Why Give to MdC? A Q&A with Chuck Olson
Chuck Olson is the founder of and partner at LTGO, where he has been involved in growing development companies, building award winning products and establishing strong cross company partnerships, for Scholastic, HMH, Discovery education, PBS, Reader’s Digest, Follett, NetTrekker and others.
Can you tell us a little about yourself?
I am a Christian seeking to take Jesus' teaching seriously, and part of that is how I share my time and financial resources. I believe generosity through charitable giving is an important part of what I am called to do as a Christian, and this does not just include my money, but also how and where I spend my time.
For that reason, I not only support MdC financially but also serve on the Board of Advisors for MdC, as well as other non-profits that I am passionate about.
On the personal side, I have been married for 40 years with 4 grown children and I have been part of the Covenant Church community in Arlington for 26 years. I earn a living by developing educational technology.
What is your philosophy around giving?
Inspired by the writing of Ron Sider many years ago, my wife Janet and I structured our financial life in such a way that we could consistently support people and organizations that are meeting real human needs and demonstrating the love of Christ. After more than 40 years of charitable giving, we have learned a few things about the types of organizations we wanted to support.
Janet and I first started to more closely analyze our giving when we received a mailing from a large organization that we supported. The mailing included a disposable electronic display that played a custom video! Not only was this reprehensible to us from an environmental perspective, but it also caused us to question the financial wisdom being exercised in the use of the resources we were providing.
We realized it can be a challenge to give with confidence, knowing that you are actually helping people and not wasting resources or causing more harm than good. After the mailing experience, we determined that there are two types of giving that we have become fully comfortable with. The first is humble giving, supporting an obvious need that is not part of a great strategy to make the world a better place. The second type of giving is to give to small organizations where we can know the work and the people intimately and can see how the organization's work is truly helping others.
Through this new lens, we immediately began looking at the organizations we were supporting and it led to a shift in our giving strategy toward smaller organizations. Organizations like MdC where we can get to know the individuals involved and more clearly understand how the money is being used.
What drives you to support MdC?
I have been moved by how Misión de Caridad is changing lives in very practical ways and more significantly, how they are restoring hope for people who have exhausted all hope. We initially learned about MdC from Jean Sicurella. She and I served on a Board of a Christian school for many years together and during that time I saw first-hand her competent leadership qualities and her passion for serving others.
Through conversations and my role on the Board of Advisors I can directly see how MdC’s leaders are working and helping others. I can also see that the leadership is directly involved in the programs and the community being served so that they are able to guide the organization on well-understood goals. I like that the focus of MdC is on depth rather than growth. They get to intimately know who they serve and provide solutions based on that knowledge.
I would gladly see all of our giving go toward the support of even just one family rising up out of poverty and having a generational impact.
Misión de Caridad is doing that work every day. We are grateful to be involved.
What would you say to anyone who is considering a first-time donation to MdC?
We are often told that our gifts will change lives. Misión de Caridad is delivering on that promise. Food and water security, basic medical and dental care, training on health and employment, education support for the children; these are the things that will deliver lasting change and these are the things that will restore hope.
Also, MdC is demonstrating God's love for people in a way that is delivering spiritual support. There are so many stories of people being surprised that someone would care enough to do something good for them and I am sure that many are hearing that MdC is motivated by Jesus' teaching.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
I realize that one of the main things that I value about MdC is that they trust the people they serve. Not that they expect them to be reliable or skilled or wise but simply that they realize that, given the opportunity and proper training, these folks can lift themselves out of poverty. That is why training and education are central to the programs. Health care is not just delivered but is taught; the work program is as much about teaching how to work as it is about making a product, with integrity and respect, and true teamwork.
Put another way, MdC knows that we are all equal in the sight of God and behaves accordingly.
