The Secret Society for Creative Philanthropy is a group that gives $100 grants to people who promise to give it away in a meaningful and creative way. The formerly-secret society was founded in 2006.
Several years later, we are privy to many stories of how members have given away their $100 grants. Read about 15 such grants, some with video reports, at mental_floss. Link
Miss [Courtney] Martin was an aspiring writer who had just finished her first book, Perfect Girls, Starving Daughters, and suddenly found herself in possession of a six-figure royalty advance. Unlike most people, who would be thrilled to have this amount of cash in their pockets, Martin felt guilty that she suddenly had so much money, so she decided to give some of it away to charity. The only problem was that she didn’t know how. In the end, she decided to give nine of her friends and family members $100 and then ask them to give it away as they saw fit. She only asked that they reported back to her a month later.
Several years later, we are privy to many stories of how members have given away their $100 grants. Read about 15 such grants, some with video reports, at mental_floss. Link
Another example of why books cost so much.
"so she decided to give some of it away to charity. The only problem was that she didn’t know how."
Duhhh! So she decided to use the money to set herself up for a lot of publicity, another book, and a movie.