Financial loss and charitable donations

This past week I attended a tehilim lecture where the rabbi related an anecdote about a person who had suffered a downturn during the financial crisis. Just before he had lost much of his money, he had made a significant contribution to a charitable organization. The head of the organization, hearing about the losses that the donor had incurred, went over to the man and offered to return the money that he had donated. The man refused, saying that before the crisis, he had thought that he was in a secure position, knowing that he had money in his bank account. Now that he had lost the money, he realized the only money that was truly his was the money that he had earmarked for charitable distribution. That money would stand him in good stead at the right time.