Sally’s Resources
The Generosity Factor
By Ken Blanchard & S. Truett Cathy
Who hasn’t heard of Chick-fil-A®? Who has heard of S. Truett Cathy?
Mr. Cathy is the founder of the fast food chain known not only for the chicken that’s served but also for the
chicken that is not served - on Sunday, that is.
Chick-fil-A® honors the Christian Sabbath by not doing business – an unusual stance in a fast food industry
that usually assumes that the American appetite takes no days off.
Mr. Cathy’s story, cloaked in the literary genre of an allegory, tells a tale of a young self-absorbed,
successful investment broker and his interactions with a mature, altruistic entrepreneur.
After reading a column about the successful entrepreneur, the broker felt a pang of insignificance – a rather unlikely feeling given the circumstances of his young successful lifestyle. Unable to forget the story he read about the successful executive who claimed his greatest joy in life was his ability to give to others, the broker picked up the phone and called the executive in order to reassure himself that the man from Denver was a fraud. Fortunately, for him he was invited to Denver and he went.
The broker found himself face to face with the Generosity Factor.
For the next several days the young man learned about not being an owner but a steward or manager of God’s resources.
As that attitude began to sink in, the broker saw first hand the principle of meeting the needs of others – of
holding one’s assets in an open hand not in a clenched fist.
Homes for orphans, scholarships for employees, camps for character building for inner city kids were among the ways
that the executive chose to meet the needs of others with the resources of his own success and wealth.
Asked to inventory his blessings, the broker’s list was all about things. The executive’s list was all about the gifts he had been given. Attending church, after observing an 8th grade Sunday school class, was unusual for the broker yet poignant enough to make an important impression.
Upon returning to New York City, the broker was met by the reality that all was not well with the families of the servants he had hired to insulate his life. Moved by his sudden gained compassion, the broker attended the funeral of his chauffeur’s wife only to be followed by a confrontation with the annoying bag lady who appeared outside his uptown condo everyday. Through this, the broker learned that the bag lady actually owned the penthouse of his building but that her ‘success to significance’ story involved being in the streets with the people who needed her compassion and generosity.
Blown away by all this, changes began to take place within the broker’s life. Generosity, joy, service, significance, legacy became words with meaning to the broker.
Read this short but poignant book and you won’t regret the warmth and inspiration that will begin to infect your own lifestyle.
Sally’s Bookshelf
Browse Sally’s personal bookshelf of recommended reading with synopses and links for online purchase.
Articles & Information
Articles by Renata J. Rafferty, a leading advocate for informed philanthropy, and other informative snippets and reprints.
Family Retreat
A 2-day retreat to settle family issues and clarify wishes, goals, values, and beliefs in a quiet setting.
Samples of a Family Letter of Intent.
Case Studies
Disinheriting the IRS: How the Mastersons built a legacy of voluntary philanthropy instead of involuntary estate taxation.