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Philanthropy is a style of altruism that involves ‘private initiatives for the public good, with a focus on quality of life.’ Business initiatives and government undertakings differ from philanthropy. Business initiatives are private efforts for private benefit, focusing on material gain; government undertakings are public initiatives for public benefit, e.g., focused on the provision of public services. Though there is considerable overlap, philanthropy is distinct from charity. Charity seeks to alleviate the symptoms of a societal problem, whereas philanthropy seeks to solve the problem’s underlying cause. According to a study conducted by Indiana University’s Lilly Family School of Philanthropy and consulting company Marts & Lundy, charitable giving in the United States will rise by 4.8% in 2020 and 5.1% in 2021. In fact, Americans gave a record $471 billion to charities in 2020, according to Giving USA.
Among these generous philanthropists is David Leica. David, a serial entrepreneur and founder who is currently CEO of Logistic One Ltd, a large logistics firm based in Warren, Michigan, has been focused on giving back to the community. In this article, we hear from David and gain some valuable insight into the current state of philanthropy.
David is a religious man, a strong believer in his relationship to God. Living out his words, David recently donated a large, undisclosed sum to The Holy Trinity Romanian Orthodox Church. The property is located in Southeast Michigan, about 40 miles north of Detroit. The newly established monastery became a place of spirituality for the Romanian-American Orthodox community, with monks leading a traditional monastic life in modern times, in conformity with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, just as the ancient hermits of the first centuries of Christianity lived. An excerpt from their website: “With the help of God, with the work of the
Holy Spirit and through the perseverance of His Grace Irineu, it was possible to purchase a property in Clinton, Michigan, which houses the Holy Trinity Monastery. This achievement was made possible through the sacrifice and love of the Lupu-Leica Family, our founders and benefactors.”.
The Holy Trinity Romanian Orthodox Church is not just a church. They also donate money to organizations within Romania that deliver support in a multitude of societal areas, like education and medicine. As well as providing other essentials such as housing, clothing, and meals to under-developed, less fortunate communities. This is another one of the key components of David’s philanthropic efforts – giving back to his homeland of Romania. There are a number of great nonprofits David is passionate about. RCR (Romanian children’s relief), is one organization in particular where the vision resonates strongly with David. Each Year, RCR-Inocenti’s 26 full time staff and more than 500 volunteers bring help to more than 2,000 handicapped, abandoned, and at-risk children. David: “Whether we’re working on a math problem, attempting to decipher difficult Romanian grammar, or feeding the small babies, I always feel like I’m making a significant impact in the lives of the children while also improving myself.”
Nonprofit organizations such as RCR, HRF, and more are the reason for so much good in the world. Many privileged individuals wouldn’t think twice about existential problems in a small country across the earth nor would they open a church to strengthen the roots of an ethnic community. David Lecia is not one of the many, and on an even more granular level, a lot of these nonprofits would not be able to exist without generous folks such as David. David will continue to give back, and as time goes on, he hopes to dive deeper into philanthropy and impact the world in a very positive way.
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