Why We Aren’t Asking You to Support R Street Today
Dear friends:
In 2018 and 2019, R Street held Giving Tuesday fundraisers intended to make you laugh. Two years ago, we promised to step-up our opposition to ninjas. Last year, we sold “endowed chairs” starting at 99 cents (created by affixing printed signs to seating surfaces in my office). In both years, we raised a few dollars, but it was mostly for fun. This year, several of you have asked me what we we’re planning to do and, while I have plenty of ideas for similar fundraisers (help us buy a pirate ship!), they don’t seem quite right for 2020. This is why, on this Giving Tuesday, I’m not asking you to support our work but, instead, I hope you’ll consider a personal gift to another very worthy group: Washington, D.C.’s Bright Beginnings.
Bright Beginnings is a direct-service organization here in the Nation’s Capital that serves families experiencing homelessness. It provides full-year, full-day daycare for children between birth and five years of age and comprehensive wrap-around services for their parents. For many, this can save lives. And, it improves the lives of everyone it touches. We believe strongly in their mission and, as an organization, R Street will match the first $1,000 of gifts our friends and supporters make to them.
I first came to know about Bright Beginnings and its terrific Executive Director, Dr. Marla Dean, when we participated in a leadership development program together with our executive teams. Since then, I’ve loved getting to know Marla and have even co-written an article with her.
That said, R Street and Bright Beginnings differ about as much as two organizations can in our “theories of change”: we do research and outreach on public policy issues, while Bright Beginnings provides direct services to families. But, we share a commitment to doing excellent, impactful and groundbreaking work. I firmly believe that moving public policy toward a philosophy of liberty will benefit almost everyone in the long term—and indeed, that those experiencing hardship will benefit the most. But, policy change always takes time. Human needs exist now, and offering direct services to the disadvantaged is therefore equally important.
And this brings me to a major point about what we do here at R Street: we think a free society is superior to the alternatives not because it’s necessarily nicer or better intentioned (although it often is), but rather because it allows and facilitates diversity. One major lesson that the 20th century’s horrific experiments with totalitarianism taught humanity is that no single philosophy, no “one right way” of doing things is ever going to solve every problem. All humans have certain inalienable rights, equal moral worth and deep similarities. That said, people are never a monolith and we live in innumerable personal and social contexts. Solving problems faced by people and societies therefore relies on a diversity of approaches and experiences. This is important within organizations that want to solve major problems—overlooking talent of any kind is a huge mistake—but it’s also important between organizations. No one organization has all the answers. What we do is vital, and so is the work of Bright Beginnings.
This year, with higher unemployment, financial uncertainty, stressed social services budgets and myriad other challenges, needs will only grow as winter sets in and COVID-19 continues to ravage America. That’s why organizations like Bright Beginnings need your help. So, on this Giving Tuesday, please reflect on the importance of diverse solutions to difficult problems and consider making a gift to their fantastic organization.
You can donate on Facebook (preferred, as there are no fees and you might encourage others to give) here or directly to Bright Beginnings on their own website here.
Thank you,
Eli Lehrer
President, R Street
P.S. For the record, I really (honestly) did ask Marla if Bright Beginnings employs any ninjas. She assures me they do not. So, if this was a barrier to you making a gift…rest easy. Bright Beginnings employs no ninjas now and has no plans to employ them in the future.
