Starting in 2026 I am redefining my mission with regards to charitable giving. I like many of you, react to catastrophic events be they caused by man or nature. Two of my giving categories below, "Alleviate Pain & Suffereing" and "Alleviate Hunger" especially tug on our heartstrings to help those in great need. When we see, read or hear of disasters that affect our fellow man we naturally want to contribute to a cause that promises to alleviate those in peril.
There are hundreds, even thousands of charities whose missions are to come to the aid of those in need. They solicit donations by mail, with letters and brochures, with television advertisements, phone calls and messages. I do give to many of such organizations and plan on continuing to do so.
Reading "Inspired Philanthropy" by Tracy Gary helped mold my thinking on how to approach giving. Gary discusses the difference between "reactive" giving and "proactive" giving. Now that I am dedicating some time to ponder the world of charities and how I can best use my resources to affect change, the focus will be on the "proactive" approach to giving. The quote "Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime" highlights Empowerment, or the value of education, skill development, and enabling individuals to solve their own problems.
I've come to realize that charitable giving is tied to estate planing in that both are dynamic activites. The recipients come and go as circumstances change. Both individuals and organizations evolve. An individual that could use your help today can hopefully evolve into someone that can lift himself out of moral or financial poverty and no longer need your assistance. The few charitable organizations I've been involved with also grow. The tendency appears to be that these organizations outgrow their founding missions and evolve to meet the needs that are presented to them, or more commonly grow to meet a new mission imposed upon them by their budget as determined by their principal donors.
One of my earliest charitable giving experiences with a non-profit who was in financial straights. Their mission was to empower a small group of female individuals to pull themselves out of dependence through education and skills development. Philosophically a fantastic alignment with my own desire to "pro-actively" empower an underpriviledged class, right? In a short period of time I increased my donations until they represented about half of their annual budget. As it turned out however, this particular group of individuals views of how to advance their own station in life was through marriage and family, and not by pursuing the Western ideals of individual achievements my board of directors was promoting. One by one the board members left a good part of which was out of pure frustration. I was relieved when a new member joined the board and took on the role of chief investor that I was more than happy to relinquesh.
After that experience I found an organization with a similar mission and was preparing to take on the role of a principal donor again, however cautiously. I started with small donations then began to increase them. This was a time in my life where I was working to promote and protect my own digital footprint. I made this clear to the organization and asked them to add my name somewhere, anywhere within their website. I stopped contributing after the organization refused to do so. For better or worse the lesson I learned is that there may be organizations with laudable missions that 1) may simply not need your contribution to support their mission, or 2) whose fundraising focus is not aligned with your own perception of how they engage with you as a donor.
Supporting individual people also has its challenges as well. Having made outright gifts to individuals, how they react or respond varies greatly. The gifts I've made include down payments on real estate purchases, vehicles, tuition payments for education including private schools for minors, tuition room and board for University and graduate school. How people react ranges from appreciative humility to jealousy and everything in between. Some show surprise when the gifts stop flowing, is the expectation that the resource providing the gift is unlimited in nature?
My alma mater is resplite with wealthy individuals who sponsor room, board, and tuition for prospective students in need. Most but not all seem appreciative of the once in a lifetime opportunity to receive such an education. One recipient I recall though was not. He refused on several occaisions to meet even casually with his sponsors in the latter years of their endowment. I'll never forget the look of despair on the faces of the benevolent couple who was his sponsor while sitting next to the empty seat reserved for him at the reception honoring such scholars.
Enough about the past, what about the future? Let's set up the principles under which this future charitable organization will operate. Funding a foundation can only follow knowing the parameters under which it will operate. Looking at my past endeavors as documented below and applying the philosophy of a proactive approach to giving here is a draft outline of the governing principles the "Guy Simonian Foundation" would operate under.
This Foundation is being established to promote the skills and tools necessary for an individual or individuals in need to advance their opportunities for employment including self-employment. Out of respect for the founders forebearers, cultural background and legacy the focus will be on people who reside or originate from the country of Armenia. Due to the founders own experiences an emphasis on existing and emerging technologies offer the best promise for success. His philosophical leanings would best be described as Libertarian. That is, a fiscally conservative advocate for individual Rights to pursue their own happiness with minimal government intervention.
An example of a US charity that aligns with the libertarian views is the Center for Individual rights. This company protects the first amendment rights of individuals who have been wrongfully terminated or discriminated from employment based upon their expression of their own viewpoints. An example of an organization that promotes developing the skills and tools necessary for individuals wishing to pursue their own advancement with an emphasis on those of Armenian descent is the American University of Armenia.
Charity diligence. Once you are comfortable with the intended mission of the charity it is important to perform your own diligence to determine how well they have managed to pursue said mission. Websites like the charitynavigator.org or guidestar.org are effective respositories of US goverment mandated documentation including form 990s. Large charities with hundreds of millions in assets to dispense diligence charities via structured meetings, document exchanges, legal, operational and corporate compliance interactions where a thorough evaluation of the organizational structure of the charity is evaluated by a committee of dedicated experts skilled in such matters. A small foundation or individual donor does not have the luxury of these resources. While an understanding and evaluation of the subject organizations operations are still required, more emphasis will be placed on the personal confidence established with the subject charity leadership. Are they honerable people dedicated to their mission? Can they be trusted to apply the gifts bestowed by you upon them to be used as intended?
Since 2009 I've given a % of my annual income to charity. Initially I had 10 categories of need I addressed and supported over 100 charities. As time evolved I started giving more to fewer charities until I had 17 charities in four categories. In 2022 I created a Donor Advised Fund which is a vehicle that allowed me to easily donate appreciated assets to the supported charities in a recurring fashion. Here are some of the charities I support and why.
| Category | Name | Description |
| Legacy & Recognition | Institutions including Schools, Universities & Churches to which I have a personal connection. | |
| Tufts College of Engineering | My undergraduate institution. | |
| Tufts Veterinary College | Tufts institution with a clear mission to improve the lives and health of the animals in the world be they our pets, our livestock, or creatures living in the wild. | |
| Talcott Mountain Science Center | One of my early employers on a mission to promote science education with young minds. | |
| Promotion of the Arts | Supporting the musical and theatrical Arts. | |
| Theaterworks | Hartford area independent theater company. |
| New Britain Museum of American Art | Regional art museum in the city of my youth. | |
| Gifts of Music | The Hartford Foundation's Gifts of Music provides instruments and instruction to young students in need. |
| Capitol Symphonic Winds | University of Hartford Community Music division |
| Connecticut Horticultural Society | Connecticut Horticultural Society is dedicated to the dissemination of horticultural information to its members and the public. | |
| Alleviate Pain & Suffering | Supporting Social Services to help those in hunger or pain. | |
| Hartford Foodshare | Local area food bank. | |
| Doctors without Borders | M�decins Sans Fronti�res brings medical humanitarian assistance to victims of conflict, natural disasters, epidemics or healthcare exclusion. | |
| Vermont Institute of Natural Science | VINS mission is to motivate individuals to care for the natural environment through education, research, and avian wildlife rehabilitation. |
| Connecticut and Menunkatuck Audubon Societies | The Connecticut Audubon Society works actively to protect at-risk bird species and their habitats. |
| Salvation Army | The Salvation Army's mission is to preach the gospel and meet human needs without discrimination. | |
| Armenian Cause | My culture, heritage, and religion. | |
| Armenian General Benevolent Union | AGBU is the largest and most successful philantropic institutions of the diaspora supporting the Armenian cause. | |
| Holy Resurrection Armenian Church | My church and the local church of my parents and grandparents. | |
| Fund for Armenia Relief | FAR gives hope, guidance and opportunity to those in need in Armenia, Nagorno-Karabakh and Javakhk, Georgia. | |
| St. Nersess Armenian Seminary | The only Armenian seminary in the Western Hemisphere serves the Church by providing quality education and training to seminarians, clergy, and community. | |
Here is a list of the categories of charities I started with: Legacy & recognition Armenian Cause Self-Reliance Infrastructure Alleviate Pain/Suffering Alleviate Hunger Promote the Arts Religious Political Other Here are charities within each category: Legacy & Recognition Ibonds 529 Education Plans (StateOnly) Tufts Veterinary Gift Annuity ACHR Trust Tufts College of Engineering Tufts Trustees Gift Annuity TMSCenter Armenian Cause AGBU Armenia Tree Project 23%Aassembly Birthright Armenia other - yerevan charity fund/project Save All for Armenia Self Reliance Africa Teacher Foundation/Central Asia Institute Heifer International University of Hartford AmerUniv of Armenia 4H Center Infrastructure ARMENIA FUND Alleviate Pain & Suffering American Red Cross Armenia Eye Care Proj NBGH ASPCA American Cancer Society CT Humane Society VINS Nature Center CT Children's Hospital FIDELCO VNA of Wallingford/Wall Hist Society Hartford Hosp/Kowiachobee American Diabetes MS Foundation Relay for Life Hospital for Special Surgery NYC Madison EMS/Ambulance Madison Hose &Fireworks WH Exchange Club American Heart Association Wounded Warriors/PVA BrightFocus Macular Degen Doctors sans Borders Alleviate Hunger Social Services Mer Doon Mer Hooys Foodshare Friendship Center NB Restore Habitat for Humanity Salvation Army Fund for Armenia Relief AYO! Gifts of Love CT Horticultural Promote the Arts New B. Museum of A Art TheatreWorks Friends of Eliz Park Friends of Heublein Tower Connecticut Public Radio ORTV The Eucharist Vermont Public Radio Wikimedia "Misc Donations by Check not counted elsewhere" Gifts of Music/Htfd foundation for giving New Britain High School Madrigal Singers Ethnic Center of Massachusetts Farmington Crew/CT Jr PGA Hole in the Wall/West Hartford Symphony Weslyan University WESU Religious ACHR Pledge/DonationsbyCheck ACHR Donations St. Nersess Armenian Seminary Diocese of the Armenian Church Asylum Hill Church/St Judes Immanuel Lutheran/St Joseph School Misc Churches & Memorials St Stephens Armenian Church Holy Ascension Armenian Church St George Armenian Church St Marks Armenian Church Tri-Church Golf Political ANCA Armenia National Committee Center for Individual Rights Armenian Assembly see Tree Project Heritage Foundation Hillsdale College Trust for Publc Land other Madison Land Trust CT Audubon/Menunkatuck non-cash Darlene other Guy-otherCharitable Mission Statements in relative order of importance, circa 2010
For Legacy and recognition (school & church endowments, gift annuities, gifts to heirs, 529 education plans for children, honor forebearers) The Armenian cause, culture (schools), religion (churches), poliitical (recognition of the Massacre), Support the country & people of Armenia Self-reliance and individual empowerment development in impoverished regions (education) Build infrastructure in impoverished regions, roads, bridges, clean water, sewer, power, agriculture, communications Alleviate pain & suffering in people (hospitals, medical research) and animals Alleviate hunger (food banks), Promote the Arts (theatre, music, public radio)
Prior to 2022 I was hand writing dozens of checks every December and mailing them out. Then I found it was far more efficient to use the Donation vehicle of the Fidelity Charitable Trust aka Fidelity Donor Advised Fund so that I could maintain a balance in the DAF, keep a short list of charities, then select each charity and make recurring annual donations and others throughout the year.
note, reference CharityNavigator.org and guidestar.org to gain access to the form 990s filed by each organization, read their mission statements, and examine their organizational structures.
