Charitable giving should be more public

by Kevin Ellis, for Conflict of Interest

My upbringing told me it’s impolite to talk about money. I grew out of it.

It is now essential to talk about money – in our politics and our communities. A tiny group of billionaires is on the verge of controlling our politics and government. Therefore, they control what we watch, hear, buy and eat. Zuckerberg, Musk and Thiel and the rest are on the verge of controlling how we live.

For me, 2025 was the year I realized that we have allowed the takeover of society by menacing people who care not a wit about the public good. They care only about two things – maximizing profit and pushing the boundaries of technology at the expense of human connection. Community be damned.

Against those odds it is tough to have hope for the future, that we can turn it around. Sometimes, as the anti-trust lawyer/activist Zephyr Teachout told me this year – “You have to tend your own garden.’’

But you are also obligated to reach out beyond yourself, Teachout said. Being human demands it. It is important to give of yourself to something, anything. Doesn’t matter what it is. Donate some veggies to the food shelf, give money or time, sit on a board of directors, raise children, cook a great meal for someone, care for your mother.

I can both tend my garden and throw a pebble in the pond and see what waves happen in the world.

Hence – a new theme from me in 2026. A lot of Conflict of Interest, both the Substack and the Podcast, will be devoted to fighting back, defending the democracy and the culture from those who would control it for their benefit.

I like to ask guests on my podcast why they do what they do when it gives them no material benefit. What drives them? Their reaction is usually delayed because they rarely get the question. Journalist John Harwood said it is in part because of his parents, how he grew up at the dinner table. And that he knows no other way.

One way we can contribute beyond ourselves is to give money. Not the only way. But if you have some dough to spare, what are you keeping it for? Give some to a favorite cause. I’ll start by telling you where I am putting charitable dollars in 2025. And I want to know where you are putting yours. So many of us give but keep it a secret. A lot of us were raised that way. Don’t talk about sex, politics or money at the dinner table.

Well – I don’t think that works anymore. If we keep secret what we are doing, it doesn’t grow the efforts of the non-profits we support.

Think of McKenzie Scott, now the biggest, most effective philanthropist in the world. She took he money from her Jeff Bezos divorce and started giving it away in HUGE chunks. She doesn’t ask for a press release or for her name on a building. She just gives it away and then tells the world so that the rest of us might give more. Since 2019, Scott has given away $23 billion. That’s a lot.

If we share our giving ideas and recipients, it helps the recipients fund and expand their efforts. But it is also an act of generosity that makes us feel good, connects us to others doing good work and pushes back against the selfish oligarchs who don’t care.

So here is to the people doing the hard, unseen, unappreciated work in communities large and small. And here is my 2025 list of folks I am supporting with charitable contributions this year. I welcome your comments on other worthy causes that need help.

I hope you will join me. Where are you giving this year?

My list is centered around causes I care about in communities where I spend time and am connected to local people. Here is the list.

• Downstreet Housing & Community Development, Vermont. (I am board chair at this non-profit that builds affordable housing in central Vermont. We have built hundreds of affordable apartments in the last few years and will be doing more this year)
• Vermont Journalism Trust (This is the parent organization for VT Digger, the online journalism site in Vermont that has helped save local journalism and pioneered a non-profit, community-supported business model.)
• Migrant Justice (A Vermont organization protecting Vermonters from Trump and ICE)
• Montpelier Foundation (Based in Vermont’s state capitol that supports the ongoing recovery from downtown flooding three years ago)
• The Montpelier Bridge (A local weekly newspaper that covers the community)
• KWMR Radio (A community radio station in Pt. Reyes Station, CA threatened by Trump budget cuts)
• Nosara Civic Association (A non-profit community group dedicated to conserving the community of Nosara, a surfing mecca in Costa Rica.
• Realist Revolt (Supports the writing and speaking of Ward Hayes Wilson, a visionary thinker and writer on eliminating nuclear weapons)

That’s my list. I am always looking for others. Send me yours!