Robin Hood Was Right: A Guide to Giving Your Money for Social Change

Good intentioned book on the importance of giving money for social change. But the book left me short by not addressing the authors' own observation that "uncertainty about the impact of your gifts" can cause the most philanthropic among us to balk at giving. Book would have been so much more helpful if the authors had spent more time on how a reader can intelligently evaluate the foundations they profile in the book. We get a glimpse of what the book could have been in appendix H where the authors tell us that nonprofits with budgets of more than $250,000 have to have annual audits that are made publicly available. That's the kind of information that's really helpful...and a few words or paragraphs or even a chapter on how to read these audit statements to make sense of the health and intentions of the organizations would have been terrific.

"Robin Hood Was Right" is an entertaining and intelligent guide to contributing to social change. Instead of replying to the nightly phone solicitations or the direct mail appeals, the reader can take control of the contribution process to focus on the values and outcomes desired. I especially enjoyed the cartoons and sidebars. The text is thoughtful and each appendix offers an array of legitimate organizations. I recommend this book to anyone, who like me, wants to be sure that giving will make a difference. That the book is also a good read is just a free bonus.

Anyone concerned with social change and economic justice should run, not walk to the nearest neighborhood bookstore and grab a copy of Robin Hood Was Right. It is a highly readable, wonderfully informative, essential guide to gaining a deeper understanding of how money affects all our lives, and the practical steps we can take to avoid the pitfalls of the unexamined life. Regardless of your class or wealth status, this book will change the way you view your role in the world in relation to money and the power it provides and witholds.

If you ever wonder if you can make a difference, this book will clear up any doubts. Collins, Rogers and Garner make it crystal clear that anyone who cares about curing society's ills can make a significant difference by giving what they can for social change. Packed with resources, examples, and how-to charts and guides, Robin Hood Was Right charts a clear path from wondering if you can make a difference to improving things from your neighborhood to countries on the other side of the globe. In a time where "donor fatigue" is cited as the reason why people grow increasingly indifferent to social injustice, less and less concerned with the state of the environment, and more hard-hearted about the homeless, Robin Hood has the cure to what ails you -- and our world.

I feel like I have waited my whole life for this book. It is a fantastic resource for dealing with money and giving money away. There is a lot of information, but it's well-organized and the stories and analysis are insightful and illuminating. Now everyone in my family is reading it. Remember what The Joy of Sex did for our ideas and practices about sex? That's what this book does for you about money and giving.