All posts tagged: Tom Levinson

How Much Should We Give?

How Much Should We Give?

Published by Sam Flores

After their conversation with philanthropists Kim Duchossois and Jessica Swoyer Green, Amber and Tom return to explore one of the thorniest questions in generosity: If you have more, should you give more? What unfolds is a candid, thoughtful look at the tension between purpose and self-preservation — between the call to give and the instinct to save. Drawing on wisdom from Jewish teaching, Christian Scripture and behavioral science, Amber and Tom dig into why giving is hard to do — yet why it feels so good — and how to know how much giving is “enough.” They wrestle with questions about timing, limits, legacy and control: Is it better to give now or later? How much should we direct our gifts? And what do we owe our children — security or the opportunity to struggle and grow? It’s a warm and honest conversation about generosity, trust and the values that guide us when the stakes are high. For more episodes and info, visit Money, Meet Meaning. Source link

What We Pass Down

What We Pass Down

Published by Sam Flores

In this episode, hosts Amber Hacker and Tom Levinson sit down with Kim Duchossois and Jessica Swoyer Green, a mother-daughter duo from one of Chicago’s most community-minded philanthropic families, to explore what gets passed down through generations besides wealth. Kim and Jess share how their family shifted from transactional to transformational giving, the rising influence of women in philanthropy and why values like integrity, empathy and connection can matter more than a balance sheet. Together, they look honestly at the challenges of raising children with grounded values, navigating generational transitions and choosing service over status. Whether you’re thinking about your own family’s story, what you hope to hand down or how generosity can reshape a community, this conversation offers a rare window into a legacy built not on money but on meaning. About Kim Duchossois & Jessica Swoyer Green: Kim Duchossois and Jessica Swoyer Green are a prominent philanthropic mother-daughter duo redefining generosity across generations. For more episodes and info, visit Money, Meet Meaning. Source link

Ethical Spending Without Losing Your Mind

Ethical Spending Without Losing Your Mind

Published by Sam Flores

After talking with Harvard Business School’s Nien-Hê Hsieh about moral gray zones in leadership, Tom and Amber zoom in on the everyday gray zones most of us face: What do you do when ethical clothing costs twice as much? Should you switch banks if yours funds fossil fuels? How much label-scanning is too much? From private school garage sales as a surprisingly ethical hack to choosing a local community bank over a national giant, they explore creative “third ways” that move beyond cynicism or naïveté. Tom introduces the idea of a spending “shot clock” – a time limit to keep values-driven decisions from turning into analysis paralysis. Grounded in listener questions and ancient wisdom from the Bhagavad Gita, this episode offers practical guidance for the conscious consumer – and helps us let go of the illusion that any purchase can ever be perfect. Source link

When Money Walks In, Does God Walk Out?

When Money Walks In, Does God Walk Out?

Published by Sam Flores

  After their conversation with Dr. Che “Rhymefest” Smith, Amber and Tom return to a provocative line attributed to Quincy Jones: “When money walks in the room, God walks out.” Is that true – or does money simply expose what already has our attention? Drawing on listener responses, spiritual traditions, and pop-culture moments like “We Are the World” and “Man in the Mirror,” they explore whether money is a rival to faith or just a tool – and why the real question may be what sits at the center of our lives. They consider real-world dilemmas: What do you do when funding threatens to soften your message? How do you use influence without losing integrity? And how might PEMDAS (that’s right: Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally) provide us with a roadmap? It’s a thoughtful, wide-ranging conversation about money, power, and the courage it takes to keep meaning at the center – especially when the stakes get high, and the commas increase. For more episodes and info, visit Money, Meet Meaning.   This transcript was …

Money Conversations with Kids

Money Conversations with Kids

Published by Sam Flores

After their conversation with financial expert Bobbi Rebell, Tom and Amber return to a surprisingly thorny question: How much should we tell our kids about our money? From sharing your income to explaining a budget cut, they explore the delicate balance of authenticity, care and preparing kids for the real world of money. Drawing on listener stories, family dynamics and wisdom from spiritual traditions, Tom and Amber unpack how age, maturity, personality and values shape these decisions. They wrestle with what transparency looks like in practice — and when discretion might be the more loving choice. Along the way, they dive into real-life dilemmas: correcting a kid’s misconception about your wealth, responding to bragging, making generosity visible and deciding what your kids need to know about inheritances. It’s a thoughtful, practical guide to the conversations that shape how kids understand money — and themselves. For more episodes and info, visit Money, Meet Meaning. Source link

Relief or Reform? When Generosity Meets Systemic Change.

Relief or Reform? When Generosity Meets Systemic Change.

Published by Sam Flores

  (RNS) — There’s a tension at the heart of faithful living: Do you use your resources to relieve suffering right now, or do you focus on fixing the system that’s causing the suffering in the first place? In this thorny episode of “Money, Meet Meaning,” hosts Amber Hacker and Thomas Levinson wrestle with what Tom’s calling “the whole quahog”—that inescapable pull between immediate mercy and structural justice, between local need and global impact, between the person in front of you and the hundreds you’ll never meet. They explore real dilemmas: Should your congregation wipe out medical debt for strangers or fund programs your own members need? Is anonymous giving holier or does it weaken community accountability? When do you prioritize the poor of your own city versus the magnitude of distant suffering? The conversation moves from ancient wisdom — Maimonides’ ladder of charitable giving, Talmudic teaching on concentric circles of responsibility, Jesus on giving without trumpets — to the story of Kansas City’s “Secret Santa,” whose decades of anonymous generosity began with one diner …

Crushing Debt, Living Jubilee

Crushing Debt, Living Jubilee

Published by Sam Flores

(RNS) — What would it look like to take ancient Scripture seriously in a modern financial system? Tom and Amber sit down with Pastor John Jackman of Trinity Moravian Church in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, to explore one of the most innovative financial ministries in the country. Inspired by the biblical practice of Jubilee, Trinity Moravian has raised small amounts of money to purchase millions of dollars of medical debt on the secondary market — and then forgive it outright. What began with $5,000 wiping out $1.1 million in debt has now grown into a movement that has inspired over 100 churches and even influenced state-level conversations about medical debt relief. Pastor John shares how theology, community organizing, and practical economics came together in this work — and why symbolic rituals like debt-burning ceremonies matter. It’s a hopeful reminder that generosity, when paired with imagination, can ripple far beyond a single congregation. About Pastor John Jackman: Pastor John Jackman is the pastor of Trinity Moravian Church in Winston-Salem — the church behind the ⁠Debt Jubilee Project⁠, …