…when he gave something the first time, there was gratitude; and when he gave something a second time to that same community, there was anticipation; the third time, there was expectation; the fourth time, there was entitlement; and the fifth time, there was dependency. That is what we’ve all experienced when we’ve wanted to do good. Something changes the more we just give hand-out after hand-out. Something that is designed to be a help actually causes harm.

Recently I interviewed Peter Greer via Skype to talk about philanthropy, and why it often makes things worse. Peter is the President and CEO of Hope International, which is a microfinance organization. If you don’t know what microfinance is, then this is your opportunity to learn about it. I think it is probably the most important phenomenon in international philanthropy right now, and in economic development. Peter Greer and the work that he’s doing with Hope International is I think taking this idea of microfinance to a new level, so it was an honor to spend time with him. You can listen to the entire interview by clicking here.

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