Sunday, November 6, 2011

Philanthropy

The adage "give a man a fish, you feed him for a day;teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime" is at the heart of the difference between charity and philanthropy. Charity in India is mostly rooted to religion and moral nature. Philanthropy comes out of love to humanity. It is an outcome of broader humanitarian values from within. It can be anything whose ultimatum is serving others and provide a means of betterment for their life. It could be monetary or article based or even moral based support. Charity is more inclined to bring the people out of current problem whereas philanthropy's major goal is to make them self sustainable and provide them a means to overcome their problems on their own. 

The most common charity in Indian economy is donation towards temples. That slowly had moved into the donating money to the needy by few educated people who have undergone the hardness in reaching their present by overcoming the past.

At the end of the article are few stats donated by well known people. 

The million dollar question that creeps up now is, Is monetary donation enough ? 
The reason I pose this question is simple maths. "You earn 100 rupees when 1 Rupee is enough for you and your family to live happily in 19XX year and donate 10 Rupee when 1000 Rs is what a basic family needs in 20XX year .. does this make sense? Do you really become philanthropic by doing this deed? Are you a real philanthropic? 

Definitely not. We really don't need to donate amount. What we need to do is get the monetary benefits out of our mind and think purely as what is it that I and my family need for living happily. Anything that you earn or get is a bonus and needs to be shared with the society at the same period. This seems rather radical and communistic but that is what is needed in the reality. Earn what you want but if you cannot use it, let others who need it make use of it through you. The real satisfaction can be tasted and the richness of living can be experienced.

Never share your ideas to earn money but do share your money for good ideas. Help others as and when you grow and make them realize that they are also capable of growing themselves and can be a means to others. Its a simple chain reaction that needs execution. 

The generations passed have earned hard and saved for their future generations to enjoy and thus tremendously increasing the disparities among people. Lets atleast try to bridge it by donating when we earn rather than when we are done earning. The value of money gets deteriorated as its saved for future. The 1 Rupee during my schooling fetched me handful of peppermints where as even 10 rs will not give us a handful of them. So dear friends please wake up and realize. Take the society along with you rather than you marching ahead and then asking them to come to your pace. 

Philanthropy is not giving when you have, its giving when needed and giving regularly at your own days when you really know whats the monetary value of market and your deeds. It gives real satisfaction and makes you more pleasant.

$2 billion from Azim Premji to the Azim Premji Foundation in 2010 -- > He earned it when $10000 is more than being rich. 
10- 15 % of Tata's income goes to TATA foundations annually. This is one good deed by Tata's sons.
$350 million from Michael Jackson who distributed most of his wealth to good causes, and who supported over 39 charity                                    organizations. He was listed in the Guinness Book Of World Records for the "Most Charities Supported By a Pop Star". -- > He is the man. He has donated when he earned and showed the real philanthropic behavior.

Hope everyone understands the point. Philanthropy is not saving now and sharing when you are done. Its sharing when you earn. Its donating your surplus for the needy and make them realize the essence of humanitarian values.
                                                  
                                                                                                                                                K. Mukesh

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