In yesterday's Globe & Mail Carly Weeks asks the question, "Are Canadians up to the [Giving Pledge] challenge?" Smarter giving is on the radar thanks to the likes of Warren Buffet and Bill Gates with their Giving Pledge.  This question, directed at Canadian donors, asks whether we are stepping up in comparible strength as our American counterparts.  I am not sure why we insist on comparing ourselves to the US donor market.  Canadian philanthropic culture is so different from American charitable culture.

Last year over $300B was donated in the US to approximately 1MM charities.  Comparing this to Canada's 83,000 charities and $8.6B (2008) donations - we are small fish in a smaller pond.  If it's about comparing ourselves to the Americans, you might be interested in an article posted OnPhilanthropy.com about Canadian-American donor differences.

I think the more important question is not whether Canadians will step up to the plate, but HOW they will do so.  There are downstream effects to philanthropy and some unintended consequences could be negative.  Understanding the impacts of major giving is just as important as understanding the issues that the philanthropic dollar is being directed towards.

What does ENOUGH mean?  Does enough mean that the problem is solved?  Does enough mean that you, as a donor, have the emotional response that you want?  Does enough mean that you are able to share with your children what your legacy means to you?

What does enough mean to you?