Competitive Philanthropy vs. the Stealthy Right Hand

I have recently been amazed at the overwhelming support for the disaster stricken country of Haiti. The response seems to be more widespread and urgent than the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami which claimed the lives of around 200,000 victims. And as luck seems to have it, these catastrophes strike third world countries more often than not. It would appear that us fortunate “first-worlders” are starting to learn our lesson in generosity and compassion for the less fortunate. But as with anything, I think it goes a little deeper than that. I want to talk a little bit about what’s called “Competitive Philanthropy.”