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A Little Bit More – “Secret Society” Tests Boundaries of “Philanthropy”

By Putnam Barber, editor of The Nonprofit FAQ.


Photo credit: The Secret Society for Creative Philanthropy What do you think? Is spreading $100 in pennies (that’s 10,000 of them) on sidewalks “philanthropy”? Something like 10,000 people find a lucky penny and have a moment’s cheer. Nice. But is this “philanthropy”?

The question comes up when you read the news reports about the not-so-secret “Secret Society for Creative Philanthropy” based in Brooklyn, NY, and active for more than four years. The New York Times and the San Francisco Chronicle reported on the group in February.

Creativity may be more at the core of the Secret Society’s work than traditional notions of philanthropy. Participants get $100 (their own, or a gift from another member) to spend in some way on a “committed act of kindness” – whether it's handing out umbrellas during a rainstorm, hiding $5 bills (with brief quotes about doing good works) in unlikely places, or sending the whole amount to help with relief efforts in Haiti, New Orleans or Darfur.

The idea is to stretch our understanding of “philanthropy” in a new direction. Get people started in creative—even “crazy”—ways to brighten other people’s days, strengthen community and the services that make it possible, recognize the good works that are already happening all around us, and add one or two more of our own.

The Secret Society started with one person giving $100 each to nine of her friends with a request to do something creative with it and come back in a month to tell each other of the adventure. It turned out to be great fun, and now people in other places around the world are trying it too. It doesn’t have to start with somebody else’s money, or even as much as $100. The key idea is to surprise people with unexpected acts of generosity and come back to tell about it.

Any bunch of friends can try it. Make up your own rules. Set your own goals for commitment, and activity. Just make a plan to get back together and tell the stories to each other. And then go out and do it again.

Thinking about it, my answer to the question is “sure” – this informal, playful and unpredictable generosity is just as much “philanthropy” as all the other sorts. It can’t possibly make the other sorts unnecessary. But it gets us thinking about what makes a good place to live. Pleasant surprises are surely a big part of that, as are stories about what people do when they set out to be generous and ingenious at the same time.

If you hear some good stories about this sort of activity, add them to the comments here. Others will like to hear them too.