Some of us worry about where the money will go. We just can’t stop giving. We still want to make sure that the cause we think we are supporting is being funded. Fair enough. An organizational structure is needed to enable large-scale acts of charity and support. Many are good and as always there are bad ones.
Good news is not news, they say. Something went wrong attracts publicity. From time to time we hear stories about how money for one good cause was used for other things. The good works done by many noble organizations are not given that much attention. Even if good work is promoted, we remain skeptical.
The net result is that we don’t have enough trust to give. It should not happen. Many organizations publicly disclose their balance sheets and profit and loss accounts. they are transparent about how much Donation They are spending on running the enterprise.
Find organizations that work for the causes you care about most. Check out their websites. Call them and talk. Ask questions you love to ask. Once you are satisfied with their work, make a rule that you will donate at a certain frequency and a certain amount. Setting this up will make it easier for you to donate and Help The organization looks forward to your donation.
If donating to such organizations seems far-fetched, look for causes you know and care about, and that have some historical connection. Your school may need an upgrade; Your village may need water; A hospital near your home may need modernization; And so on. Look for opportunities closer to your home and to organizations you’ve been associated with. Or causes that are led by people you know.
Some don’t want to make a commitment. They’ll keep it all ad hoc instead. If there is a natural calamity; If there is any cause which has arisen out of any crisis; Or if there is a situation that calls for help, they would be willing to donate something. That’s fine too. It is better to give for a reason than not to give at all.
On another level, there are daily acts of kindness that you can contribute. Be generous towards Diwali contributions for security staff, liftmen, your domestic help, drivers and other support staff. They have seen your food and shopping orders and which you have thrown away as garbage. Open your hearts to let them enjoy the festivities better. Give food and sweets to the poor people living in your area.
Collect the clothes you want to donate, take your kids with you to hand out the poorly dressed kids in your town. Pay college fees for children from low-income families you know. Ask your vegetable seller, your rag seller, your milkman, your newspaper vendor and many of the simple hardworking people you meet in your daily life how their child is doing; Find out how you can help. Ask about people who are hospitalized. A disease can destroy the financial condition of a poor family. Gather your friends and fund the treatment. Make it a point to give and you will find many ways to do it.
We do not give because we suffer from the multiple viewpoints of the entitled class. Poverty is also a lack of opportunity. It is cruel when it afflicts the youth by suffocating their futures in the cold paws of hunger, poor health, limited choices and despair. We could argue that the poor did not work as hard as we did, as if they had taken it upon themselves. But our heart knows the truth. We may not be able to wipe the sadness off the face of the earth, but we have it to spread the joy. This is what the festival is about.
Some of us like to benefit from giving. We want tax exemption. We build convenient structures to get your money roundtrip. Stay away from these heinous acts. Give it to the one who doesn’t like it. Some of us can’t give until we tell the world about it. Even worse, we expect the other to look up to us, be grateful, tell others, and admire us. Give without a trace. Please give. Give without wishing for fanfare. Give to others with immense respect, so that they may live with dignity and self-respect. Know that you initiate a chain of generosity and that those you help will help others. Don’t selfishly expect them to return your favor or cringe in gratitude.
From Mahabharata is the story of Karan and his immense generosity. Legend has it that he gave with both hands. When asked why he did this, he is said to have replied, If I pick up things with the left hand and give it to the right, I can change my mind, as I did. I have to give before my mind stops! So true for many of us. Give when thoughts come to your mind. Do not postpone the donation.
If all you are giving is money, remember that you are making easy and lazy choices. Participation, actual contribution of work, time and effort, and applying oneself to a problem are all acts of higher order of giving. They demand your skill, time and effort and demand that you re-prioritize your life. Not many have the heart to be involved like this. We are just choosing the easy way to donate some money. Let’s do it happily, with respect and with love. What is personal finance without allocating money to others. Open your heart and purse this season.
(The author is the chairperson of the Center for Investment Education and Learning)