Category — Thoughtful Giving

“A giving person sees a glass of water and starts looking for someone who might be thirsty.” ~ G. Donald Gale.

Turn on any news channel and you will find an abundance of anchor chatter about stories on the economy. From the daily job loss grand totals, to the list of companies in your backyard that are laying off employees, you don’t have to look far for reminders that we are living in historic tough times and we may need to brace for more. Most recently, a former Surgeon General was on a national news network explaining how the increase in suicides is linked to growing cases of economy-related depression.

Logically, when a person is financially struggling or has recently lost a job, etc. the last thing on their mind is looking for how they can help the next person out. But surprisingly, during times of our worst personal challenges, this is actually the best time to think of giving to others. I challenge you to find a photo anywhere of the Dalai Lama where he isn’t smiling. Everyone knows the Dalai Lama is inarguably the leader of the unselfish and peaceful kind, but surely, this guy has got to have bills and sources of stress like everyone else. What gives? Well, In a recently released book called  ‘Why Good Things Happen to Good People: The Exciting New Research that Proves the Link Between Doing Good and Living a Longer, Healthier, Happier Life‘, authors Stephen Post and Jill Neimark explore facts that support, among other things, the scientific health and related benefits of helping others…even in ’your‘ time of need.

In the book, the authors discuss a 50-year research study that proves how when we give of ourselves, life satisfaction, self-realization and physical health is significantly improved. In addition, depression is reduced and overall well-being and good fortune are increased. That’s right, I said ‘good fortune’. Will your phone start ringing off the hook for new jobs as soon as you volunteer at your local shelter? Probably not. But you will have an edge on your mental balance vs. others in your same situation.

Although, it’s not a conscious or intentional effort on the part of most people, we all in some way tie our sense of pride, value, and personal validation to our professional and financial state of affairs. Many people who have recently found themselves a casualty of today’s recession have expressed feeling like they have let themselves and/or their families down. This is an unfortunate crystalization of the fact that in addition to the tangible effects of our economy, there are severe emotional byproducts as well. As an alternative to psychological navigation through these negative thoughts, why not consider using this time to redifine your sense of worth, value and validation. I’m not saying stop sending out your resume’ or to tell your mortgage company to take a hike, I’m just saying why not use this time to take stock of who you really are and evaluating what has previously been your source for happiness and emotional well being. If you have less than 2 things on that list that are self-less in nature or non-materialistic, this may be the perfect time for you to explore helping others as a resource to get the positive mental boost that will certainly help you during this current ecomomic madness. The sense of happiness you will receive from helping others can serve as an invaluable means of built in self-support. And who knows, the ‘good fortune’ may come in karma-like form when you least expect it.

Here are a few additional tips to re-calibrate your thoughts during these tough times:

1. Lay off the tube. Try hitting a bookstore on the weekend or watching a positive movie on your downtime vs. catching up on the news.
2. Check out CNN.com’s section Focus On Giving . It has a plethora of uplifting stories about people helping others and you may get an inspiring idea.
3. Take Giving baby steps. You dont need to rescue anyone from a fire to get the emotional benefits of giving. You can start by simply helping someone carry their groceries in a parking lot or deciding to open doors for other people for an entire day.  
4. Selective listening. Take a break or minimize conversations with friends and family who are swimming in negativity about the current economic times.

 

Good luck!

 

 

Remember in the movie Meet the Parents when Robert DeNiro cornered Ben Stiller’s character and gave him the low-down on how to stay in the ‘circle of trust’? That was definitely one of my favorite parts in the whole movie.

Interestingly though, the idea of ‘circles’ of like minded people extends also to the arena of philanthropy. One of the coolest new ways to get more for your charity buck is to join, or start for that matter, a Giving Circle. By Wikipedia definition, a Giving Circle is a group of individuals who pool their funds and other resources to donate to their communities and seek to increase their awareness and engagement in the process of giving. In addition to making financial contributions to selected causes, Giving Circles also can encompass a volunteer component where members donate time to charities selected by their group. According to a 2007 issue of Delta Sky magazine, there are currently an estimated 800 Giving Circles in the US, which is about double the amount from 2006.

Clearly, the advantage of starting one of these groups is having the ability to do more good, because the pot of funds is substantially larger that you are working with. However, probably the biggest reason to start one is that your likelihood of ‘one day giving back to charity’ will increase 10-fold. Just like your chances of sticking to a new gym routine is greater if you get a workout buddy, the same holds true for your philanthropy aspirations.

So the next question is where to start? Well that depends on how ambitious you are, but it doesn’t have to be rocket science. First, you should decide whether you want to join an existing circle or start one. If you decide to start one, you need to consider things like what will your mission be? Will you operate loosely where there is no formal tax-deductible component to member contributions, or will you apply for a 501(c)(3) and operate as a foundation? Will there be minimum contribution requirements for your members, or do you want to leave it open to however much people can afford? Do you want to have a local, national or global focus? Of course, if you decide to join an existing circle the process is much simpler as you just need to find one whose mission reflects your personal charity interests. Online blogs as well as Meetup Groups for existing Giving Circles are increasing in popularity and make it easy to get started interacting with people quickly.

Finally, the most important thing to focus on when joining or starting a Giving Circle is having fun. There are few things more fulfilling than being involved in charity and making the most of the social aspect of Giving Circles is key to staying motivated and passionate about all the good you are doing.

If you’re ready to jump in and get started, here are a few links that will demystify your next steps. Both sites are excellent resources that provide information on both starting your own circle or finding an existing one.

Forum of Regional Association of Grantmakers

Giving Circles Network

Good Luck and Happy Giving!

Ok, I first saw this beautiful New York Times Magazine cover shot on another blog & was immediately drawn to it. The cover, from last weekend’s edition, features Natalie Portman, a supporter of microfinancing, and an entrepreneur who was the recipient of a microloan for her business in Mexico. As a person passionate about a global cause myself, I connected with the image. But admittedly, the part that struck me the most was the celebrity in the photo. I’m still trying to reconcile whether this is a good thing.

I haven’t read the articles within this edition yet, but the images brought a lot of feelings around celebrities & philanthropy to the surface for me. Star power has the ability to draw attention in a profound way. When used wisely, this can be great. But another byproduct of it is the influence of trend. We can all summon memories of several good and bad trends…think Hammer pants….that were escorted into popularity by a celebrity.

Traditionally, fashion is likely the most popular realm where we find examples of this. But in recent years American culture seems to have evolved when it comes to raising the bar of our ‘cool’ factor. My girlfriend Natalie in Cape Town recently told me it seems like Americans are obsessed with “big” things. From our food portions to our homes she said we basically appear to enjoy over-doing things. When looking at recent American infatuations, i.e. all things lavish, her point is valid. Most notable of these infatuations seems to be what I call ‘values-based’ trends. As ideologically dysfunctional as that term sounds, there are examples all around us. Instead of people simply wanting to emulate a celebrity’s style, now many find it a great idea to adopt a whole new religion as many did with Scientology after Tom Cruise sung it’s praises. Then there’s the example of Angelina Jolie’s adoption of overseas orphaned children, followed in suit by Madonna and others. In the business world we can add Cause Marketing, both on & off-line to the list. However, I think it’s Oprah who has probably had the biggest impact with her efforts in South Africa.

But the question is…is the fact that these new trends are celebrity-inspired a bad thing? When I think of the long-term social impact of Oprah’s efforts in South Africa, it appears clearly a wonderful thing. But where it gets fuzzy for me is when the piggyback effect kicks in; The point when a profusion of celebrities begin to make headlines for the same or similar actions. At that point I begin to question whether the image of them doing good or the actual good deed itself is their driver.

As the cause of my own organization (Giving Spirit) benefits a cause within South Africa, I realize this probably is on my mind more than the average person. Although, I know the idea behind my passion predated the current popularity of related efforts, I still feel uneasy in light of these values-based trends.

If I had to make a conclusive opinion on it all, I’d have to say the risk-benefit ratio is what matters most. When we look at the the sum effect of these new ‘values trends’, the long-term human-impact is clearly immeasurable. Whether it’s needed spiritual enlightenment for someone who jumped on a religious trend, or the facilitation of permanent sustainability for a family made possible with a microloan, the end would seem to justify, or in this case give a pass to, the means.

What do you think?

Recently I watched a video clip of a talk by Andrew Mwenda given at last year’s TED conference in Monterey, CA. The title of his talk was Let’s Take A New Look At African Aid. As helping hand heavy-hitters like Bono sat and listened, Andrew described how the industry of aid has created a monster of a counterproductive system in Africa, whereas, the monies exchanged never quite adequately reach the intended recipients, which are the struggling citizens themselves, and instead fuels bad habits on the part of some African governments.

This charity dynamic made me really start to wonder about the world of philanthropy as a whole when it comes to countries with poverty issues such as Cambodia or those we often hear about within Africa. Although Andrew’s talk was with regard to government to government aid being largely hindering, it also raises the issue of whether everyday people and charities who aim to help in a global way are truly making a difference. Are we pouring our well-intended energy towards merely a band-aid effort, or worse, enabling the problem we’re trying to help eradicate?

I don’t think anyone who has serious interest in dedicating a portion of their life towards a cause they believe in actually wants to only get a less fortunate person through the day. Nor do I think they would want to enable a pre-existing oppressive system. Personally I think that in order to avoid this, people like myself who truly want to make a viral difference i.e. a self-replicating one, need to be focused on how our effort, donations, and intended ‘help’ in general promotes the supply of resources that will allow our beneficiaries to help themselves.

Recently, I’ve been in communication with Andrew by email because, I admit, I was concerned that my own organization was wheel spinning and possibly driving its mission with the wrong vehicle. Fortunately (considering his wealth of expertise in this area), Andrew feels I am on track. But how to stay on track? And how can others with well mapped out plans to make a difference in causes close to their hearts ensure that they are on track or revise their maps if they are off track?

Here’s Andrew’s talk…if you have a few minutes check it out, it’s excellent.