A number of years ago I watched a 60 Minutes interview with Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates. In classic 60 Minutes fashion, he was pressed about his limited philanthropic activities. As I recall, he replied that he was focused on his business and would take the time to share more of his wealth when he was older. The roof caved in on Bill. He got ripped. After all, Americans admire the super rich, but not ones that don’t give back. They can lavish wealth on themselves to our endless entertainment. But if they don’t extend a hand to someone in real need we can turn on them in a hurry.

Following that disastrous interview, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation was formed and the rest is charity history. They created a philanthropic juggernaut. And in 2006, American billionaire, Warren Buffet pledged the vast majority of his $44 billion empire to the B&MGF. The combined effort must surely be the greatest gathering of private wealth for charity in history.

But looking back on the original interview, I recall feeling more than a bit smug about Bill. After all, how could someone with so much, be so unwilling to share it? I mean, hey, if it was my money I’d give it away. Not a moment of hesitation on my part. No sir, I might even give all of it away, move to a tenement flat and live on ramen noodles and rice. Or would I? After all, in some respect, Gate’s fortune is relative. To an upper middle class couple like us it dwarfs our earnings. But to a goat herder on the Serengeti or a homeless family in Portland, our lifestyle must look every bit as enormous. So there I sat, smug but slightly defensive. I knew I wasn’t much different from Bill, except for the cash. We were two peas in a pod, focused on making money with limited concern for those around us.

That interview and the effort the Gates ultimately mounted was a wake up call. In fact, I’d say it served as inspiration to pursue philanthropy for the little guy.

Sharing the process get’s a bit sticky. I’m not really comfortable disclosing the details of what my wife and I give. That’s personal. And honestly, the scope of the giving really isn’t the issue. The change in mindset was. I began to take a look at how I lived and the stuff I had. And I didn’t like what I saw. Not only was I dedicated professionally to promoting unbridled consumerism, but I’d sunk my incisors right into the meatiest part of it. In short, I had too much stuff and not a great deal of peace about it. The stage was set for change and giving more away was the agent.

It didn’t happen overnight. In fact, the early stages took place over several years. But as we began to give more each month, we gained confidence. And as our confidence grew, our effort followed suit. And now we’re blessed to be able to support people close to home and far away. There’s no fanfare, no board of directors and no glory. But there is a link with Bill and Melinda. They do with their fortune as they feel led, and we do the same with ours. Because we know there’s a place in the vast world of philanthropy for the little guy. And we can make a huge difference, because last time I checked, there were a whole lot more little guys out there than billionaires.

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