In 1979, my father told I had inherited many millions. 

I decided to give it to social change projects. Here’s why: I had a vision of a gift economy (gift-economy.com) based on women’s values. I felt so strongly about this vision that I wanted to do everything I could to make it a reality: give it all my time, live it myself, change my investments, encourage others to work for a more compassionate society – and put my money in service of this vision. I created a donation fund and an all-woman, multicultural private operating foundation that over 20 years gave away almost all the money I had inherited to projects that supported this vision.

This decision flowed naturally from my life and work. I felt then, and still do now, that as a society we are on the edge of an abyss. It’s time for all of us to take some risks.