What does the Communitarian Wealth Challenge progran of The Agrarian Foundation’s mean to upper income families? Simply, it means Living Beyond Mere Self-Interested Individualism. It means learning to “love my neighbor as myself.” The math is simple: from your gross income subtract state and federal taxes, a ten percent tithe, and double the income average in your region. Everything left after sutracting is evenly split between your family charitable foundation and your family. You control and direct the foundation’s wealth to those charitable causes you choose – thus leaving “A Legacy and Habit of Generosity” for your children and grandchildren.

This voluntary program is not for everyone. Families making less than $100,000 won’t likely have anything to split after 10% in State and federal taxes and a 10% tithe. This program does not rest upon egalitarianism. No family has an equal right to your wealth or earning as you do. Very wealthy people – even multi-billionaires – are not only legitimate, they are potentially a great blessing to the world. Without generous rich people there would be far fewer people to help others. This program does, however, challenge wealthy families to graduate from Family Wealth-Building – to Community Wealth-Building.

This program calls for the wealthy to live not only for themselves, but dares them to cultivate an active generosity., This should gradually pull average incomes higher over several years. It teaches children, neighbors and the world that individual wealth is not long divorced from community wealth and health without social strife and bitterness. Social connectedness is human and at some point I am my neighbor’s keeper.

Nor is there anything evil with economic self-interest, “for what man does not love his own flesh” (Eph. 5). However, a narrow self-interest that seeks its own pleasure, wealth, and affluence only, is the kind of narrow individualism that must be repudiated. There is a community of which I am a member that draws me to “Something Bigger Than My Own Self-Interest”.

So, what does this look like? Consider combined family incomes of $150,000, $250,000, 750,000 and 2,000,000, assuming a $40,000 average income making $80,000 double-the-average base. The goal is to move families first from “Poverty-To-Self-Reliance” then from “Self-Reliance-To-Generosity” enriching the whole community.

Normal Net Income: $150,000 – 22,500 (15% tax) – 15,000 (tithe) = $112,500

Community Wealth Challenge Income: $112,500 – 80,000 = $32,500/2= 16,250+80,000 = $96,250

New Family Charitable Foundation: $16,250

Normal Net Income: $250,000 – 45,000 (18% tax) – 25,000 (tithe) = $180,000

Community Wealth Challenge Income: $180,000 – 80,000 = $100,000/2= 50,000+80,000 = $130,000

New Family Charitable Foundation: $50,000

Normal Net Income: $750,000 – 187,500 (25% tax) – 75,000 (tithe) = $487,500

Community Wealth Challenge Income: $487,500 – 80,000 = $407,500/2= 203,000+80,000 = $283,500

New Family Charitable Foundation: $203,000

Normal Net Income: $2,000,000 – 560,000 (28% tax) – 200,000 (tithe) = $1,240,000

Community Wealth Challenge Income: $1,240,000–80,000 = $1,116,000/2= 580,000+80,000 = $660,000

New Family Charitable Foundation: $580,000

So – What Does A Family Foundation Do?

What might these four families do with $16, $50, $203 and $580 thousand dollars in their family foundations? Well, this is the fun part – any charitalbe cause you find or create! It might a Church Mission or School or any other qualified Charity. Below are some suggestions that assume you divide your foundation money in seven equal parts – giving you seven: $2,285s; $7,143s; $29,000s and $83,000s respectively to make an impact.

1) Local Church Mission – Your family could become active with one of your Church’s missions. Ask the mission how best to fund a project they have and travel there with a family member. Become an active participant in the work rather than a passive observer. From schools to special mission projects, there are likely several things you could support with one 7^th of your foundation’s funds.

2) Heifer International – Heifer is an outstanding Charity specializing for decades in “the gift of self-reliance” with thoughful programs of animal husbandry. Heifer offers opportunity at many level for giving self-reliance by the gift of productive animals for families in various countries – including the United States. The Agrarian Foundation is a primary sponsor of Heifer International.

3) The Agrarian Foundation – Besides pioneering The Communitarian Wealth Challenge, The Agrarian Foundation counsels families regarding family foundations and how to create or become active in local and foreign charitable opportunities. The Agrarian Foundation allocates 91% of its budget to agrarian realted projects and other charities promoting the idea of self-reliance-to-family generosity.

4) Local Land Initiative – Purchase a vacant lot and turn it into an eatable garden-park for the needy. Get them to help with the work and make it more beautiful, eatable and functional for families to play, read, work and increase their self-reliance with food. Most towns and cities have many of these that might be free to you, so you can invest in seed, fertilizer, advice, landscaping…

5) Local Family – Help a family live debt free. Many families have decent incomes, but are plagued by old bad choices and are suffocating under mountains of consumer debt. Why not work with them on a program of debt-relief with the goal of debt-free living? A little strategic financial advise, pointed counsel, budgeting expertise and financial help can make a tremendous difference in a family’s future.

6) Local Family – Buy a needy family a reliable car or pay for their return to college or speical training to start a business or career advancement. There are many things knowledgable wealthy families could do to make a huge impact on struggling local families. Look towards long-term future results – while at the same time breeding self-reliance and the expectation of their own generosity to others.

7) Create Self-Reliant Communities – Get creative and buy land to develop self-reliant communities!

This is The Agrarian Foundation vison. It is not much for personal profit, but to learn how to live better. Imagine developing intentional communities which produce much of their own food, all their energy and capture most all their water. Why don’t you create self-reliant communities of various kinds? We have too long stifiled our imaginations and defaulted to obsolete and unsustainable grid-like neighborhoods totally dependent upon giant electic utilitiy grids, agribusiness and grocery giants, and municiple governments. We have lost most all notions of self-reliance and communitarian liberty. What about you and your family? Can you make a difference?

Get creative. Become a solution to multi-generations of poverty, lack of education, motivation and initiative. Recruit your wealthy friends, love your neighbor as yourself, help him, leave a legacy bigger than your own personal peace and affluence. Make your mark. These are only a few ideas how you might transform yourself and your family from consumerist individualism – to generous communitarian.

Of course, The Agrarian Foundation is ready to help you change how your family divies up your income. We are also ready to help you change the world – or at least your own family and community! We know that many will shrink back from this challenge. But we are also persuaded that many, perhaps millions, are looking for just such a challenge and opportunity to escape the world of consumerist self-indulgent materialism and excess for a vision bigger than themselves. What about you?

Warmest Regards,

David E. Rockett

Director/Founder The Agrarian Foundation