Handout, hand up

Handout, hand up
 

A nonprofit charitable organization that offers financial counselling and budget preparation in addition to providing short-term (temporary) monetary assistance, has the motto "A hand up, not a handout." How does my attempt sound?

:thumbsup: I like it.

There might be some other ways to say it, but yours works just fine. :)

Thanks to both of you. I was looking for something short and sweet, catchy, like the English version sounds, and just now thought of using trampolín or escalón or even peldaño for "a hand up" - in the sense of "a stepping stone toward financial freedom." Would either of those three translations work better than mano amiga?

I like "mano amiga" better. It communicates this sense of solidarity behind the phrase in English. :)

Ah, thanks. Another thought just now occurred - since the target audience is primarily of Mexican origin, could I say Mano amiga sí, mera limosna no? It just rolls off the tongue better, right?

Mano amiga, sí.
Mera limosna, no.

Y, ¿qué tal “Arriba las manos: esto es un atraco”?

Mmm... well, I take that will only work in the case of a Robin Hood-like character... But then he would have to invest the money so acquired in some creation of employment, like a project cleaning up the Sherwood forest... and... and...,

No, all kidding aside, your idea sounds good to me too. It’s like the maxim: “Dale un pez a un pobre y comerá un día, enséñale a pescar y comerá toda la vida”.

@Glen: I wouldn't change anything about your original sentence.

Manos extendidas, no suplicantes.

Dando una mano, no dando en la mano

Those are all wonderful suggestions. I got to try them out just now, interpreting for a group of Spanish speakers on a guided tour of the facility, and they loved them. Many thanks!