文字难度：★★☆
A friend once invited me to spend a cold winter’s day picking up trash in a park. It was a community-service event organized by a charitable organization she was involved with. I immediately told her I was not interested.
“It just makes no sense,” I explained. “Why would I spend three hours of my time picking up trash?” I argued that if the goal was neighborhood 1)beautification, then I would rather donate three-hours’ worth of my labor income. The organization could then hire several people in need of a job. The trash gets picked up, we provide jobs, and I do not have to spend three hours in the cold. “Where can I make a donation?”
My friend sighed, mumbled something about it seeming like a good way to meet men, and then shuffled off to ask someone else.
When we feel inspired to do good, many of us choose to give time instead of money. Given how precious our time is—2)cramped by demands of work, family and friends—setting some of it aside to clean parks or deliver meals seems like a valuable donation. But is this the most efficient way to give?
The economist in me is inclined to say no. As I explained to my friend, what my time is worth may be far more valuable to most charities than my actual labor. The money could go towards hiring people with limited employment opportunities, or to help3)cover more pressing needs facing the charity, such as rent or staff salaries. My hours of labor, on the other hand, serve the charity in only one way, and can only be provided by me.
有一次,有个朋友邀请我在某个寒冷的冬日去公园里捡垃圾。那是她所在的慈善机构组织的一次社区服务活动。我立刻对她说,我没兴趣。
“这么做毫无意义,”我解释道,“为什么我要花三个小时去公园里捡垃圾呢?”我认为,如果这个活动的目的是为了美化周边环境,那么我宁愿捐出我三个小时的工作收入。慈善机构可以用我捐出的这些钱去雇佣一些需要工作的人。如此一来,公园里的垃圾得到了清理,同时我们还提供了工作机会,而我也不用在外面挨冻三个小时。“哪儿能捐款?”
我的朋友叹了口气,嘴里嘟囔着说这似乎是个认识他人的好机会,然后就走开去邀请其他人了。
当我们感到受到了触动决定去做善事时,我们中的许多人会选择付出自己的时间而不是金钱。要知道我们的时间是多么宝贵——光是分配给工作,家庭和朋友都已经不够了——那么拿出一部分时间来清扫公园或者派发食物就确实是宝贵的贡献。但是,这是最有效的捐赠方式吗?
作为一个经济学家,我的观点倾向于回答说“不是”。正如我向朋友解释的那样,我的时间可能远远比我贡献给大部分慈善活动的实际劳动更有价值。我的捐款可以用来雇佣那些工作机会有限的人,或者帮助满足慈善机构所面临的更为迫切的需要,例如支付租金或是员工的工资。从另一方面来说,我的劳动时间只能通过一种方式为慈善机构提供服务,而且还只能由我本人提供。
Volunteer labor becomes more valuable if it involves a special skill. For example, if a talented doctor donates a few hours of his time to a free clinic, this may serve the charity better than a $1,000 donation. Unfortunately, I can think of few local charities that would benefit from the unique skills of an economist.
I recently explained this to a professional who regularly donates his time to a local4)soup kitchen. But he argued that “just throwing money at a cause” is potentially irresponsible and enables 5)detachment. Donating time may be a greater personal sacrifice, but it also gives him a stronger connection with the cause. He has 6)forged a bond not only with the other volunteers, but also with the people he feeds, and the result is an enriching sense of community. He also believes, as a member of the same minority group of many of the people he serves, that he provides them with a positive role model. He recognizes the value in the social interaction volunteering provides.
Of course charities benefit from both kinds of donations. They need some people to just hand over cash, but they also thrive by being an integral part of the community. Whether it is better to give money or time depends on your goals as a donor. If the objective is simply to provide food for the hungry or to clean a park, then money is more valuable. However, if you hope to also engage with your community—not only with your 7)peers, but also with less fortunate people whom you might not otherwise encounter—8)no amount of money can compensate for your time spent.
如果志愿者拥有某项特殊技能,那么他们付出的劳动会变得更有价值。例如,一位优秀的医生贡献出几小时去做义诊,这对于慈善机构而言,或许远胜于1000美元的捐款。很不幸,作为一名经济学家,我就想不出本地有什么慈善机构可以让我的专业技能派上用场。
最近,我把自己的这个想法告诉了一位专业人士,他定期在当地的一间施粥所做义工。但是他认为,“只是用钱来支持某项事业”在某种程度上是不负责任的,而且会使人变得淡漠。贡献时间也许是一种更大的个人牺牲,但是也让他对自己所从事的慈善事业有了更深的感受。他和其他的志愿者以及那些他帮助过的人之间都会建立起一份友谊,从而得到了一种深刻的群体归属感。他还相信,作为少数族裔群体中的一员——他所服务的许多人均为少数族裔——他给他们提供了一个正面的榜样。他认为志愿者活动中的社交互动正是其价值所在。
当然,无论是哪种捐赠方式,慈善机构都能得益。它们需要一些人提供现金捐款,同时它们也通过融入社区生活而得以发展壮大。到底是出钱还是出时间取决于捐赠者的目的所在。如果目的只是简单地想为挨饿的人提供食物或者清扫公园,那么捐钱会更有价值。然而,如果你还希望融入你的社区——不仅仅是接触和你同阶层的人,而且去接触那些平时难得遇见而生活不如你幸福的人——那么你所付出的时间将是无价的。
