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Review by Rosalee Sinn
"Giving is the miracle that can transform the heaviest of hearts. Two people, who moments before lived in separate worlds of private concerns, suddenly meet each other over a simple act of sharing. The world expands, a moment of goodness is created, and something new comes into being where before there was nothing." ~Kent Nerburn.
As President of Heifer Foundation, Janet Ginn is serious about helping individuals pass on their values to future generations and challenging them to invest in creating a better world. She passes on her values in this inspiring and readable book that opens up new opportunities for creative giving. Remember the verse from the Bible that says “it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God” (Matthew 19:24)? One of my first thoughts after reading the book was that Janet has that figured out as well. Her secret is through “planned giving” and passing on your gifts. Janet doesn’t hesitate to challenge the wealthy as well as all the rest of us who have more modest resources to share.
Over and over Janet encourages us to take care of ourselves, to take care of our families and to invest wisely so that when it is time to make annual or planned gifts we will be able to give generously and still protect our own well being. She says, “You must decide how your wealth, during your life and after, represents who you are.”
Janet has a deep commitment to Heifer International beneficiaries. In Circle of Giving, she shares stories of her personal visits with the Navajos in New Mexico, with small farmers in China and with Beatrice from Uganda. She shares first hand stories about how the farm animals and training provided by Heifer provided immediate and long-term solutions to hunger and poverty.
Janet Ginn is well known in the homes of Heifer donors throughout the United States. The book is dedicated to these donors “who have welcomed me into their lives.” She tells their stories with as much poignancy as she has talked about Heifer International beneficiaries.
Lest you think this is just a warm fuzzy, touchy feely book, filled by the warmth of this unusually dedicated woman, let me assure you that it is a serious and detailed plan for creating a legacy of caring. Janet shares information about the people who can guide you in decisions about your charitable investments; she gives details about annuities, wills, endowments and bequests and takes you step by step through the process.
Working as a Development Director for Heifer International and with many aspects of fundraising for more than three decades, I have seen lives changed because of using appropriate tools in deciding how and when to give. I have had many donors say to me, “Janet Ginn has all the facts about finances and giving at her fingertips. She helped me tremendously as I decided about how to create my will, or how to design an endowment to help people in Africa, or in memory of a loved one.” And there are ways to make an investment that will pay you dividends today and assure that your giving will continue into the future.
I first read the book because Janet and I are friends. We have worked together as colleagues and with Heifer International’s annual donors who have also made a planned gift with Heifer Foundation. My husband, Paul, also read the book as soon as it arrived. “Janet comes through on every page,” he said, and I agreed. In the end, reading the book was more than just a tribute to a wonderful friend. It challenged me to explore my own patterns of spending and giving once again and to encourage others to do the same.
Janet reminds us that the task of ending poverty is possible. She calls us to a new commitment and a new look at how we will leave our legacy.
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