The "Zero Sum Game" of charitable contributions

The "Zero Sum Game", meaning a finite amount, of charitable contributions came
to mind when I thought of the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) and its success in
getting corporations and even countries to readily contribute to its foundation.

With the tens of millions contributed to the CGI I wondered what it offered that
 is not already being done and secondly, have voluntary contributions to other
charities fallen as many major corporate contributors now donate to the CGI?

I was curious to learn what CGI is actually doing and made my first stop to its
website. www.clintonfoundation.org/clinton-global-initiative .

First, I learned the CGI is a branch of the Clinton Foundation (CF) which appears
to have a larger mission, and got me even more curious.

I learned from the CF website,  www.clintonfoundation.org/  how it worked,
and grew especially curious reading its opening statement, its an  'operating'
foundation" which does not provide grants to other charitable organizations.

I found this odd. Shouldn't the established and successful charitable organizations
be the most deserving of funding, especially from a major foundation? I read on.

CF states it prefers to work with its own staff and "partners", without mentioning who
these partners are. It does mention supporting other philanthropic endeavors, only its
vague in exactly how, other than 'convening' these partners to develop programs.

The CF does provide statistics, such as providing US schools with "healthy food choices"
and thousands of farmers in Africa receiving 'climate-smart' agronomic training! Other
initiatives listed include gas house gases are being reduced, all which have been done
for decades before the CF was even created!

Now to the CGI.

Since its inception in 2005 the website states the CGI 'community' has made thousands
of 'Commitments to Action', helping millions of people, but with no mention of what
commitments were or how they help people.

I won't belabor this, but I view both the CF and CGI are "gate keepers", created for
access to the billions that will be spent. Both are "middle men" to connect their donors,
for a contribution, to federal agencies and countries around the world needing aid in
a variety of forms.

I would venture to guess if the "dots are connected" we will learn the contributors to
both the CF and CGI are the same ones that receive govt. contracts to provide aid.

What CF and CGI appears to be is an organization, with Bill and Hillary at the helm.
They may have turned ransacking of much needed funding into an art form! Billions
has poured into the CF and CGI coffers,  all in the name of philanthropic efforts, while
at the same time provided the Clinton family princely incomes and a standard of living
the people they profess to help can only dream about.

Lastly, the looming question remains, which charitable organizations have seen their
contributions go down....with the rise of CF and CGI?

Learn more for yourselves by reading what CF and CGI websites offer.

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