Ever since the terror attacks in Israel on Oct. 7 of last year, we have seen an increased focus on giving to causes related to Israel and Jewish life. In episode 63 of Giving Ventures, Peter is joined by investor and venture philanthropist Adam Milstein to explore how donors might think of challenging anti-Semitism, supporting Jewish culture, and the relationship between all of this to our own challenges in America.
Charitable Giving Comes Back to You
Milstein offers valuable tidbits and perspectives on giving through the conversation. Early on, he shares one of the great (and positive) ironies of being a giver – that the giving comes back to you:
“And for Jews, the giving 10% of the income is kind of part of the tradition. But [my friend] had taught me that you have to look at it a little bit different… I found it to be true that whatever you give to charity, God finds mysterious ways to give you ten times more…[whether it’s] ten times more income or… satisfaction and accomplishment.”
The conversation continues on to explore how he approaches giving to support Jewish causes, though he makes clear that his interests go well beyond giving in the Jewish community or to support Israel.
“It all starts with what is your mission? What is it that you’re trying to accomplish? Where exactly are you trying to make an impact? And for me, my mission is to fight anti-Semitism, to strengthen the State of Israel, and also to protect American democracy, the American way of life.”
While the interview is ostensibly focused on supporting Jewish causes, Milstein expands the aperture to one that goes right to the heart of American values. As he says, the attacks on Israel and Jews broadly is a “canary in a coal mine” to the broader goal of undermining Western values and American principles.
A Strategic Giver
In discussing how he works with groups, Milstein outlines how he aims to understand how the groups in his focus area operate, how they work with others, and how they achieve their mission. He says he looks for groups that are working together and willing to do more.
One of the particularly interesting facets of Milstein’s philanthropy is the importance he places on convening and sharing learnings with others. “I think if more people will understand the issues and understand that we need the American community to unite and fight back together, put all our means, our knowledge, our connections, our power, we have a better chance of winning,” he explains.
The wide-ranging nature of the conversation with Adam Milstein will be of interest to anyone looking to support Jewish causes and help the state of Israel, but also to those concerned about the direction of America and the attack on Constitutional values. More broadly, listeners will enjoy hearing the thought process of a committed and busy philanthropist with a passion for making the world better.
