You Want to Make A $50,000,000 Bequest. Where Would it Go?

If I had $50,000,000 to give I would make a bequest to either a company doing basic research with stem cells or genetic engineering. I believe that we are on the brink of being able to deal with diseases in a far more targeted way, through genetic engineering.

The use of stem cells in creating new tissue, and maybe someday, organs, could revolutionize health care, and possibly ameliorate the problems that are corrrelated with aging and disease. The government has vastly limited science's ability to research the possibilities of using stem cells. Therefore, private money will be nescessary to go forward with this research.

OK. Just by writing this, I realized, if I had to make a choice, I would leave my money to a company doing stem cell research.

I would put it into a trust, legally strapped down twelve ways from Sunday, invested in a very conservative low yield, LOW RISK portfolio, with 25% of the annual revenue to be given for educational programs at the elementary level in the arts, specifically the plastic arts, music and dance; 25% of the annual revenue to be given for educational programs at the elementary and secondary level in foreign language education; 10% for physical plant maintenance and renovations in any school receiving funds; the remaining 40% to be re-invested in the trust. The funds would be distributed on a state-by-state basis, beginning with the poorest school districts. With good management, in the course of say, 100 to 150 years, public education could be receiving the lion's share of stock market revenues.

Setanta- Interesting idea, which I think has a lot of merit. I think that I am going to add education to the poll. I don't know why I left it out!

Start a dance fellowship in Horton technique in NYCity?

Why not research?


Too much money wasted in research. If you donate $50 million to a research group, $25 million will immediately go to overhead. That means money, wasted and money that will NEVER see research.

If you invest $50 million in research, you'll be very lucky if you have $1-5 million going into SOME aspect of research.

I'd have to guess that it would go to a group like The Nature Conservancy. I don't know that it would all go directly or if I would setup a trust to purchase land and then donate the land but there would be some sort of tie-in.

Not that I'll ever have to actually work this out of course....

I have a huge soft spot for animals and nature, so like Fishin, I would probably donate my big bucks towards land reserved for wildlife. I may use some of it to help feed domestic animals in shelters as well.

I voted for 'the poor'. I like that it didn't include the word 'organization'. I, also, would want my money to bypass the administration and overhead costs.

Peace & Love- The question was that the money had to be given to one entity. Therefore, you would HAVE to give it to some organization, or start a foundation yourself. You could not give cash out to a lot of people. Sorry for the confusion. It was my fault that the Q, as originally worded, was not too clear. I amended my Q to clear up any confusion!

I'm with fishin' on this. Nature Conservancy for sure.

I might consider, for about ten seconds, donating the lot to the public coffers to help pay down the debt, but as it would only take those buggers less than half that time to waste it, I'm inclined to forgo that option.

I'd probably hand it over to some institute doing neuroscientific research, in the hope that they'll be able to inform me at some point during my lifetime whether I actually exist or if I'm merely the figment of an overwrought and hallucinogeriatric imagination.

Not that I'm self-interested, you should note.

In real life, I'd spread my money around. But if I have to choose just one, I've chosen the arts. But I would also like to leave money to medical research and education as well. Oh and let's not forget to give to NPR.

Also, as unpopular an idea as this is, fund raising costs are a necessity for relief organizations and must be paid by someone. I know it's hard for most folks to believe, but most non profit and charity organizations are very careful and wise about the way they go about raising funds. The press has a field day on this subject, blowing a few incidences up to seem as if it's true of all. But that's about selling newspapers.

halucenogeriatric . . . god, Boss, you crack me up . . .

Really. That deserves a valuable! Bing!!!

Because I've watched my 15 year old daughter live with Diabetes since the week before her 5th birthday, I would give all of the money to

The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International
http://www.jdrf.org/index.php

in the hopes that a cure could finally be found for this terrible disease which is the leading cause of blindness, kidney failure, heart disease and amputation. One of the most painful things any parent can ever experience is having to watch their child miss out on the innocence of childhood while they struggle with things such as multiple finger pokes and injections everyday, blood glucose that won't cooperate, innumerable doctor visits and tests that never seem to stop, and not being able to participate in the usual joys of childhood because their body won't allow them to. Just the joy of being able to eat something or being able to do something spontaneously without worry or consequences would be so wonderful...NO CHILD SHOULD EVER HAVE TO GO THROUGH THIS...EVER.

Sorry, Phoenix, but if I had $50,000,000 to donate I wouldn't have to abide by your restrictions. Too many worthy places to pick just one -- I'd split it up. Most would go to help poor kids get a decent education in the hopes it would break the cycle of poverty (that's kind of like two right there, isn't it?). Then I'd want to give some to hospice-type charities because I think it's important to let people die the way they want to. And the animals always need help. Actually, 50 mil won't go too far, will it?

Matrix -- Sorry to hear your daughter has struggled through that for ten years. I have a shadow of an inkling as to how awful it has been. You're absolutely right, no one should go through that.

Isn't it weird that $50 million dollars won't really go very far? Still, better than nothing. There are so many worthy causes.

Careful Setanta, you could wind up as a psychoceramic.*


















*crack pot

Matrix
Sounds like your daughter (and you) have had a rough go.
Surely one of the hardest things for a parent is to have a child struggling with a problem that we can't take away or fix for them.

How is she doing now? Well I hope.