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In 2009, Arthur C. Brooks, President of the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, D.C., published an article in BYU Magazine based on a talk he gave at the school arguing for the importance and value of charitable giving. 

He advances—among many points—the counterintuitive notion that the more one gives the more one makes, and people shouldn’t wait for the “ideal time” to become a benefactor. Brooks, to be sure, isn’t saying that the only reason to give is because it returns benefits to the giver; rather, his larger purpose is to dispel some of the myths surrounding charitable contributions and to encourage more of it.

As Brooks often does in his essays, this one is filled with supporting studies and statistical evidence. Though a few years’ old, these insights remain valuable for those in Catholic education, particularly in leadership positions. 

Click here to read his essay. 

Matt Emerson's essays have appeared in a number of publications, including America, Commonweal, and the Wall Street Journal. The Catholic Press Association named his September 2012 essay "Help Their Unbelief," published in America, as the "best essay" in the category of national general interest magazine for 2012. He is the author of the book Why Faith? A Journey of Discovery (Paulist Press 2016).Articles:Fruitful Searching (Jan. 5-12, 2015)Preambles for Faith (May 13, 2013)Help Their Unbelief (Sept. 10, 2012)Posts at The Ignatian Educator