Abstract
Empowering Charity is a book written out of particular experience that has challenging and helpful insights for a wider audience. It begins with a series of short chapters challenging myths about poverty and myths about race and philanthropy. The examples and the information are taken from the USA but the myths outlined are perpetuated in similar ways in different settings. These myths tend to blame people for their poverty rather than examining the structural reasons why hard work, education and some forms of charity do not lift individuals and communities out of spirals of deprivation. Froswa’ Booker-Drew links some of these myths, such as ‘poor people are lazy’ (p. 7), to religious ideas about hard work and sin. She outlines the part race has to play in these structural inequalities. Each section ends with a suggestion of how the narrative might change, what action could be taken and a series of Scriptures to ponder on in the light of the challenged myth. This would work well as a group study perhaps, with figures and statistics around poverty and race from the local setting.
The second half of the book discusses social capitalism, networking and leadership in developing charitable projects for change. It is vitally important to know the community in which you are working, to engage with the lived experience of people and to support projects that actually meet the expressed needs of the community rather than the perceived concerns of the donors. As she puts it, ‘moving from a missionary mindset to a mindset of one who is there to support’ (p. 81). Central to her understanding of philanthropy is the need for a community of voices. Communities have within them social capital, assets and insights that need to be identified, respected and empowered, and Booker-Drew offers a number of tools and resources to do this. While it is important to listen to and empower those within a community so that giving can be appropriately targeted and projects owned by those they are meant to benefit, networks of those beyond the community are needed to develop projects that genuinely enact change. She uses the concept of giving circles to talk about drawing together philanthropic communities, yet these networks need to be woven together with the communities they seek to support. ‘Building social capital is important, but if we do not take it a step further into using that capital to make a difference; then, we have relationships that may benefit us but not the greater good’ (p. 97).
The book ends with real-world examples, a glossary of terms and a list of further resources; some of these are specific to the USA but many are accessible to all. There is much in this book to challenge the individual and the community to reflect on their attitudes to poverty, welfare and race in the light of the gospel. There are plenty of practical tools to help develop networks and communities that see charity not as something we do to people in need but as an exciting way of joining in with those who long to enact change, sharing our gifts with their gifts to do good.