The Banded Yoke

Visit our website: www.bandedyoke.org

The Banded Yoke grew out of a concept pioneered by tagvillage, inc.

Our founder, David Ruebush, has a strong belief there should be a middle-ground type of entity that exists within the economic structures of the world. He calls this the Tithing Corporation. tagvillage was founded in 2010 to lead the charge, to set the example for how Tithing Corporations operate and prove the fact that they can and will be successful.

The Banded Yoke envisions:

A world of alternatives where Tithing Corporations provide goods and services exceptionally and competitively so that they may donate their profits to humanitarian organizations.

The Banded Yoke's Mission is:

To promote and support an environment in which entrepreneurs are enabled to create thriving, profitable enterprises, solely for the purpose of throwing off profits to organizations that strive to fulfill unmet humanitarian needs.

The Banded Yoke's Strategy is:

To lead by example and attract new entrepreneurs and experienced business mentors, along with their knowledge, resources, and skills so that we may foster an expanding network of talent, creativity, leadership, responsibility, and success that leads to a world of hope, dignity, and opportunity.

Why The Banded Yoke was established:

The fact that corporations are amassing unreal concentrations of wealth and power, while greater numbers of the human population are falling behind is self evident. Today, more than 1 Billion people struggle to survive on fewer than 60 Cents (USD) per day. In contrast, less than 1,000 people control 80% of the entire world's wealth and power. The solution is not within the existing economic framework. The solution must come from a new economic alternative.

The Banded Yoke was established to pioneer the solution. We feel the answer is within an economic "middle ground". In the current economic or "˜business' structure of the developed world, there are two main-line economic channels to supply for a demand: For Profit Business and Non-Profit Business. We feel this is a breaking, if not already broken, system. Corporations are retaining more and more wealth and "˜giving back' less and less as a percentage of their overall intake through taxation and charitable contribution. At the same time, non-profit business is finding it more and more difficult to capitalize.

Any brief observance of current affairs will display an increasing tension between the "˜haves' and the "˜have-nots'. In light of the ever-increasing divide, it is easy to point fingers at modern enterprise and vilify Corporate America and Wall Street. The Banded Yoke has a different view. We realize Wall Street and Corporate America are simply doing what they are mandated to do.

We agree there is corruption and that this corruption increases with wealth and power. We agree corruption must be reduced, punished, and if possible prevented. However, we feel the true problem lies in the mere fact that Corporate America is, by charter, legally required to amass wealth, consistently expand operations, and increase shareholder equity. Therefore, it is almost absurd to expect anything other than this.

In response, there must be a new type of entity. There must be an entity that, by charter, is legally required to consistently expand operations and competitive prowess solely that they may "˜give back' more and more to society in the form of taxation and charitable contribution. To a traditional business, this is lunacy. To a Tithing Corporation this is responsibility. The mere purpose of a Tithing Corporation is to exist so that it may give and be taxed.

Traditional business models produce three results:

1. Extreme wealth for a few individuals
2. Organisms that receive huge sums of money, yet pay fewer and fewer taxes
3. Organisms that receive huge sums of money, yet contribute less and less to charity

Simply put, the 10 largest corporations in the USA donated an average of 0.004% of Gross Revenues to charity in 2010 and paid an average of 4% in taxes (Corporate Tax Revenues Nearing Historic Lows As A Percentage Of GDP, Report Says). Another way to look at the problem is to consider the fact that there are 25 people living in the USA today who could each personally feed every starving person in the world for one year with their individual wealth (The Richest People in America).

The Tithing Corporation model would produce:

1. Modest, responsible wealth for entrepreneurs
2. Organisms that receive huge sums of money and pay more and more taxes
3. Organisms that receive huge sums of money and contribute more and more to charity

Visit our website: www.bandedyoke.org