Sam Simon Quotes

We went around and looked and talked to a lot of foundations with those charities and decided upon the Children's Hospital. They had a golf tournament at the time, but it was a small event that didn't raise a significant amount of money.

The money that we make from the company goes into The Body Shop Foundation, which isn't one of those awful tax shelters like some in America. It just functions to take the money and give it away.

Today, we don't blink an eye when the world's wealthiest individuals donate enormous sums of money to charitable causes. In fact, we expect them to do so.

I don't know if people understand that there are different ways to raise money for great causes.

I started off with making personal donations and eventually set up my own foundation, VTCY Foundation, now known as Better Malaysia Foundation. My contributions are also made through companies that I own.

I have always examined closely the motives of any group for which I am asked to raise money.

I am currently doing about 30 charity auctions a year.

I think we really feel like Crowdrise could be something that, 20 years from now, people take for granted because that's just how you do it, like if you're going to raise money for something, that's how you do it.

Meeting people who want to start a charity, help out their families, or raise money for a good cause has been really fun.

I support many organizations that I feel are doing the right thing, like Alonzo Mourning's foundation, Alicia Keys' foundation, the Make-a-Wish Foundation, and other well-established foundations. I kick out a lot of time and money wherever I can.

I don't think I've got the expertise with which to nit-pick, and I freely admit that my motivation to support charities has been emotional, rather than as a result of being particularly well informed as to how the money is used.

People feel good about giving money to Greenpeace.

Charity fundraising galas have always been a wonderful way to support a myriad of causes.

I have a philanthropy advisor, Hari Menon, who was earlier at the Gates Foundation.

I launched Chefs for Humanity, a national nonprofit, with my voice, heart and money from my own pocket. Money gives you the ability to make a difference in the world and, when used in a positive way, is a lot of fun.

Shouldn't you put the same amount of effort into your giving as you might for your for-profit investments? After all, philanthropy is an investment, and one in which lives - not profits - are at stake.

You have to offer a product that creates an environment that captures donations, but at the end of the day, it's not the environment that draws in the money but the cause.

As you might imagine, I'm approached by lots of organizations and lots of people who want me to support their various charitable efforts in some way. And I look at those requests, and I basically try to do what I can.

For charity purposes, how do I help? A lot of prospective levers and tools have come into my life.

If you are wealthy enough, use part or all of your Social Security proceeds to invest in a favorite cause or two. Invest 10 percent or 100 percent of your monthly Social Security check in your favorite charity, foundation, think tank, church or synagogue, or other good cause.

It's hard to be a good philanthropist in China.

I run a charity. If my name pops up in your call ID, chances are I'm about to ask you for something - money, free ad space, your first born. So it is probably no surprise that people often don't take my calls.

The system of volunteerism is divisive. It pits one charity against the others for the charity dollar.

I've long wanted to find a charitable cause to really get involved with and be passionate about. I get invited to a lot of charity events to sing, and I am happy to help and bring a source of entertainment, but I'm sort of disconnected from them.

I became convinced that there was greater satisfaction from giving my money away and seeing something come out of the ground, like a hospital or a university.