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The Surprising Secret to a Life That Matters
A Business Parable About Discovering Your Philanthropic Why · Barron J. Damon
“Marcus Ellison had everything he ever wanted but he lost everything he ever needed. Then he realized everything he was missing.”
— Giving Up · Barron J. Damon
Official Book Trailer
Giving Up: The Surprising Secret to a Life That Matters — Available Now
Marcus Ellison had everything he ever wanted but he lost everything he ever needed. Then he realized everything he was missing.
Eight hundred employees. Three industry awards. A life that looks, from every angle, like success. The problem is the question he cannot answer.
A box found in a dead man’s attic. A hole in a friendship that twenty years of silence made irreparable. A daughter whose life Marcus almost missed entirely, two failed marriages, and a family full of secrets — with Marcus completely oblivious to what has been happening around him all along.
What follows is a story about the people who teach him why. That giving up is not defeat. It is love in action.
Companion Resource
A practical, fillable companion to the book — designed for six audiences.
Whether you are a corporation building a CSR strategy, an individual discovering your philanthropic why, a financial advisor adding philanthropic planning to your practice, a nonprofit leader cultivating donors, a faith community, or a book club — this workbook has a section built specifically for you.
✓Six audience sections
✓Fully fillable PDF
✓All 8 Philanthropic Why steps
✓G.I.V.E. Model™ worksheets
✓CE credit components for CFP® & IWI
✓Book club discussion guide
✓3 P’s of Philanthropy framework
✓Philanthropic Why Statement page
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Time given intentionally multiplies. Time hoarded just disappears. The person who says “I’ll give back when I have more time” rarely does. The giving is the time.
Your expertise is the most expensive thing you will ever give away for free. It is also the only thing that can actually change something. Hoarding skill produces a legacy of one.
Giving Up requires something from you. Not from the surplus. From the heart. That is where the love is. That is what changes a life.
Quick Assessment
A 10-question quiz testing your understanding of giving, legacy, and the principles behind strategic philanthropy. Get instant feedback and a personalized result.
Take the Quiz →Step-by-Step Guide
An 8-step practical guide with reflection questions to help you identify your own philosophy, your people, and your process for strategic giving.
Start the Guide →🎧 Listen to Chapter One
Chapter One — The Scoreboard
Giving Up · Barron J. Damon · 15 min · Audio Book
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A box found in a dead man’s attic. A hole in a friendship that twenty years of silence made irreparable. A daughter whose life Marcus almost missed entirely. Eleven chapters. One random act of kindness that changed everything.
Also available wherever books are sold.
It’s My Turn
One Million Acts of Kindness by 2030
A random act of kindness is a selfless, unexpected gesture done to help or bring joy to someone else — who could be a stranger or someone you know that could have a specific need or not.
It requires no planning, expects nothing in return, and has no hidden motive.
We refer to this as an Unequal Exchange — giving to someone who you don’t expect anything in return. That is where the love is.
Our Goal
One Million Random Acts
of Kindness by 2030
Tell us about a random act of kindness you performed or received. Every story helps us reach one million.
Join the Movement
Every act of kindness brings us one step closer to one million. It’s your turn.