Tzedaka Recogniton

Why do many (but B”H not all) people who give Tzedaka insist on public recognition (i.e. name the building after them, get a plaque on the wall saying they donated, an award ceremony, etc.)?

Tzedaka, like any mitzvah, should be l’shmo, and hidden.

Because not everyone is up to your level of selflessness and humility. In an ideal world, it should be as you say. Alas, this is not an ideal world.

Better that people give for recognition than not give at all.

The Wolf

Wolf – Well said.

Wolf put it well.

Another point to consider — institutions often want their donors to publicize the donations as it often motivates others to give as well, for a variety of reasons. Sometimes other donors will consider the fact that someone they know has given big donations to this institution as a sort of “haskama”, and it makes them more willing to give. Sometimes it’s plain old fashioned peer pressure, and sometimes it helps build excitement. Also if the honor being received is in the form of a fundraising event (like a dinner honoree, or even a Chanukas Habayis for the building they named), the hoopla surrounding the event also leads to more donations from friends and associates of the honoree. The point is that there are times when a tzedakah will literally beg a donor to accept an honor, even if the donor would prefer to give quietly. (Obviously there are those who run after Kovod, but just because someone is getting recognized doesn’t mean he was looking for it.)

Chasam Sofer writes that Tzedaka is different to other mitzvos in that Baalei Tzedakah should try and publicise their tzedakah. I cannot remember exactly where it is but it is somewhere in in Sefer Braishis.

There are many forms of charity and giving when you want to give is always a blessing. But that said, those who want to be memorialized in some manner and usually this is the custom such as if you gave to a hospital or other institution etc, you might find that your name is inscribed somewhere depending on your level of tzedakah. That is not a sin and it is not a foolish thing either. The names of the righteous are worthy of being inscribed. But if your intent is to acheive what is considered the truest form of charity and not be recognized, that is your perogative of course. And in some cases, it would perhaps be a chillul hashem to allow your name to be published. So therefore you give anonymously. But that said, it is an honor to be recognized and we should very much honor our contributors. So give where you can and be honored when it is time.

Droid — It is more proper for the giver to be anonymous, but it is also proper for an institution to express Hakaros Hatov — so why should the default be no recognition?

on the ball-

There are a few reasons why we decided to donate anonymously (although it’s not set in stone).

#1. When I was in Kollel I was asked to put in a full page ad for a family member being honored. I explained that I was in Kollel and couldn’t afford a full page ad. The dinner chairman told me to give what I want and he’ll give me a full page ad. (Thinking back, I don’t think it was fair that someone who paid full price should only get the same recognition as someone who paid a small fraction.)

#2. A Rebbe I was close with was being honored and I had lots of Hakaras Hatov for the special attention he gave me as well as the kesher he kept up for 20+ years. I decided to put in a full page “thank you” at $500. I later found out that a younger grade was having a hard time scraping together $25 a piece from the 20 classmates and I felt it was arrogant to have a full page ad next to theirs and I asked the journal committee not to publish it. (They sent the Rebbe a copy of the ad and an explanation as to why I requested that it not be published.)

#3. A shy neighbor (who has helped us with the kids in the past) asked us to put in an ad for her yearbook. The school warned that anyone who didn’t raise a few hundred dollars for the yearbook cost would have a picture of an elephant in the yearbook instead of theirs and she thought it may hurt her shidduch prospects. I was willing to put in an ad but my wife said it will be offensive to her parents if someone else places a larger ad than they were able to afford. My wife gave her the full amount (so that she wouldn’t have to ask others who may insist on placing an ad).

Hakaros Hatov can be expressed privately.

It can also be expressed publicly.

The Wolf

Have you ever been in Shul and there is an appeal

You make your pledge to someone and its called out in front of everyone

Ploni 5 times Chai

Or been in a Shul where they auction off Aliyot on days like Yomin Norayim

BTW I was in London and the Shul there had a PRICE LIST on the wall for Kibudim

You may not like the idea and it may not sit will with at all, but the idea of public recognition for those who give tzedaka is firmly rooted in halacha. See the RMA in Yoreh Deah (Hilchos Tzedaka) Siman Reish Mem Tes Sif Kattan Yud Gimmel. See the Taz and what the other nosei keilim say about it. I dont own one, but I would very much like to see the Rashba that this RMA is based on.