Tag: Charity
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“Without expectation of return”: a glimpse of giving in the Amazon
In the opera house in Manaus, Brazil there’s an organ, gifted from the US in the early 1990s. The instrument sits in the lobby, cordoned off and unused – because no-one in Manaus knows how to either play or maintain it. Maybe you could forgive the Americans for their poor choice of gift. Because, although…
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It ain’t what you give, it’s the way that you give it
Mama to Mama is one of at least 400 baby banks in the UK – organisations that give equipment, clothes and other essentials, usually donated secondhand, to people struggling with money. They are increasingly in demand, which is a whole other issue. But one interesting thing about Mama to Mama, whose founder I interviewed recently,…
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What does generosity actually look like?
Brits are becoming less generous – at least according to the World Giving Index, described as the “world’s leading study on global generosity”. The UK has typically ranked in the top 10, but in the latest index it’s in 22nd place, its (joint) lowest spot yet. This is not a new worry. In 2021, analysts…
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Friction, not oil
What happens when giving seems a little too easy? “Save a life, in your sleep”, said the sign. Buy a pair of pyjamas at this shop, the promise was, and your money will help eradicate malaria in southern Africa. There’s no question that the cause is valid. More than 600,000 people died of the disease…
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Power in the picture
Way back in 2007, the Irish Association of Non-Governmental Development Organisations (Dochas), created a code of conduct on images and messages. It was a reaction to the somehow accepted situation of fundraisers relying on what you might call “flies in their eyes” photography. You don’t need to see an example here; if you live in…
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Fit for a king
Britain is crowning a new(ish) King next month, so we’re all being encouraged to spend a once-in-a-generation bank holiday doing something nice for each other. But the Big Help Out, which promises to “give everyone an opportunity to join in”, has already prompted concerns that it will flop, further undermining efforts to recruit and engage new volunteers.…
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Mega(phone) motivation
Youth media projects matter because they give young people “a voice”. Funders, nonprofits and facilitators emphasise this as their goal; participants celebrate it. And standard-setters expect it: a 2006 guide by the Open Society Institute, a significant early philanthropic backer of youth media in the US, says a key feature is that it “conveys the authentic…
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Royal recognition
“Well, they do a lot for charity…” It’s a common response when you ask people what purpose the British royal family still serves. For some, good causes are the monarchy’s primary purpose: according to recent research from Charities Aid Foundation, a third of Brits believe that the royals’ most important role is supporting charities. (It’s not…
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Motivations matter
People clearly like to help other people. Last year a friend posted on LinkedIn that she was looking for a mentor; she expected one or two responses – but got an astonishing 25 offers. You see it the other way round, too: mid-career professionals offering time to answer questions or advise younger people on breaking…
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Sticking around
A former colleague told me recently that he’s started mentoring a kid. It’s not just the occasional phone call or a few trips to the cinema, though: he has signed up to a programme that commits you to meeting up with the same child on three weekends out of four, for a minimum of two…
