Posted on
Tuesday, May 27, 2008 at 11:15 AM
Category:
Fundraising
Here, at GiveIndia, we’re always amazed by the many innovative ideas people come up with to raise money for a good cause. The Americans, in particular, seem to have devised several ways to involve the community while raising money for good causes. Some of the the more common ones in the States (but unheard of here in India) are:
* bake sales where office workers make a treat at home and then bring it in to office and sell it to raise funds
* car washes where students come together and wash cars for $5 or $10 for charity
* cookie sales as popularised by the Girl Scouts
However, there is no limit to the creativity that charities and do-gooders have when coming up with ideas. Here are a few FUNdraisers we’ve read about recently:
Famous UK celebrities used Lego bricks to make models that were auctioned online for a NGO doing work for people with autism.
Pajama-clad students walked 95 miles for a charity that helps disabled children. The six students are calling themselves the "Walking Wee Willie Winkies".
In the US, men are growing moustaches for charity!
In Cardiff, a woman is planning on doing an 100 foot abseil drop, off the roof of the Wales Millenium Center to raise funds for the venue.
Even toddlers aren’t left out! In Bahrain, a pre-school raised money in a sponsored charity sports day and a teddy bear picnic at the school.
So clearly, people aren’t lacking in imagination when thinking of ways to raise money for causes they care about. Most of these fundraisers will raise small amounts but it's these type of events that build a culture of giving where everyone does a little bit to help out in their community.
Have you taken part in an unusual fundraiser? Tell us about it by leaving a comment below.
Posted on
Friday, May 23, 2008 at 12:21 PM
Category:
Celebrity Giving
,
Inspiring Stories
Chuck Feeney is probably someone you’ve never heard of and that’s the way he wants it. Described by Jim Dwyer in a New York Times article as “one of the most generous and secretive philanthropists of modern times”, Mr. Feeney lives frugally; he flies caoch, doesn't own a house and buys readymade suits.
Mr. Feeney, who made a fortune as founder of Duty Free Shoppers, the world's largest duty-free retail chain, transferred all of his wealth in 1987 to his foundation, The Atlantic Philanthropies. Atlantic, which has around $4 billion in assets, gives away about $350 million a year.
Mr. Feeney chose and worked hard to keep the story of his fortune and his philanthropy out of the spotlight to the extent that he established Atlantic in Bermuda, to avoid disclosures required in the United States.
In the NYT article when asked why he had chosen to reveal himself now, Mr. Feeney replied “A lot of wealthy people, they don’t realize they have the alternatives of spending the money for good. If they knew it gives so much satisfaction, I wouldn’t have to persuade them.”
In a radio interview on NPR, Feeney told guest host James Hattori that his foundation is also taking on a more public role after it became "synonymous with anonymous." At 76, Feeney says the time felt right to share his story.
"It's a time and tide thing. I'm not getting any younger, and I thought there would be some advantage to talking about giving while living," he says.
To know the full story of this extraordinary man, you could read his biography, The Billionaire Who Wasn't: How Chuck Feeney Secretly Made and Gave Away a Fortune, by Conor O'Clery.
Posted on
Wednesday, May 21, 2008 at 9:41 AM
Category:
NGOs
It's always a bit scary when you have to inform your clients of a price increase for the services you provide them. You're quite sure that the increase will be met with disapproval and unhappiness.
Well, as we at GiveIndia discovered last week, that isn't always the case!
GiveIndia sent all our listed NGOs the revised structure for first time listing as well as annual renewal and here's what some of our NGOs had to say:
"We appreciate your effort to ensure that the most efficient and effective non-profits get access to the most resources." ERDS
"I appreciate the efforts of GiveIndia for promoting online donations to the NGOs. It is due to the efforts of your organisation that a large number of NGOs including our organisation have been able to mobilize such large financial resources from across the world." Blind People's Association
"Thank you for promoting the cause of organisations such as ours to help us raise more funds. I think GiveIndia is doing an excellent job of projecting the potential of getting donations from the people of this country to make a difference in the lives of the poor." CINI
GiveIndia didn't get a SINGLE negative reaction to the increase. It seems like we're doing something right.
In the year 2007/8, the average amount a listed NGO received through GiveIndia was Rs 4.52lac (appx US$11,300) and the median amount was Rs 2.2lac (appx US$5,500).
This clearly indicates the benefit NGOs get by being listed with GiveIndia. Do you know a NGO that does good work and wants to be listed. Leave a comment below with their name and email ID below and we'll get in touch with them.
Posted on
Thursday, May 15, 2008 at 8:38 AM
Category:
NGOs
,
Transparency / Credibility
Most of you probably make some kind of charitable donation in a year, maybe online, maybe as a response to a direct mail appeal or sometimes at the request of a friend who supports that cause. And probably, as with other services you use, you don't really stop and think "How much is this costing me? Wait a minute...costing?? I thought I was making a donation so what's this COST all about!?"
What donors don't realise is that many NGOs (non-profits), including GiveIndia, are intermediaries. We connect people who want to donate, to NGOs and projects that need support.
GiveIndia incurs expenses in our efforts to raise money for NGOs and projects in need, and so does every other fundraising intermediary. Costs for people, for technology, for office space; costs just like any other business, though on a much more frugal level.
Now that you've digested this fact, can you guess what the average cost of fundraising as a percentage is? Basically, how many Rupees does an organisation spend to get a Rs.100 donation?
It is our hope that each one of you reading this, takes a guess by voting on the poll. Do also leave your comments on the blog so that we have an interesting dialogue on this important topic. After all the comments are in, GiveIndia will post a follow-up giving you the inside story on fundraising costs.
So go ahead and take a guess now.
Posted on
Friday, May 9, 2008 at 10:02 AM
Category:
Donating
On Mother's Day, most of you reading this will do something nice for your mom-- maybe a card, maybe a phone call, perhaps a meal together.
But what will the millions of mothers living in poverty get?
Published in time to commemorate Mother's Day, the Save the Children eighth annual State of the World's Mothers report paints a grim picture of children and mothers in developing nations. High maternal mortality rates, lack of trained birthing attendants, and the absence of basic medical interventions all add up to 28,000 children under the age of five dying every day.
Amongst the report's five recommendations was the simple but powerful number 2:
Invest in basic, low-cost solutions to save children's lives
GiveIndia offers dozens of ways to help children and the adults who care for them. We're sure your mother would approve of us and our transparent and efficient ways. So celebrate your mother by making a gift donation in her name -- your mom's happy and you've changed a life. It's a win-win idea!
Posted on
Wednesday, May 7, 2008 at 9:34 AM
Category:
poverty in India
A recent article by Simon Robinson in TIME magazine highlights the abysmally poor state of health care in India today.
Some alarming statistics from the article:
* just 43.5% of young children in India are fully immunized
* only 1 in 10 Indians has any form of health insurance
* 20 million people in India fall below the poverty line every year due to debt from medical expenses
* there are 6 doctors and 8 nurses for every 10,000 Indians
As Robinson points out, the lack of basic infrastructure in India is heavily contributing to the situation. Unclean drinking water, no toilets and sewers and substandard housing are major factors in millions of Indians contracting common but deadly diseases.
However, as GiveIndia knows all too well, even a small intervention can greatly change the quality of life for those living in these conditions. One of our NGOs that works in West Bengal provides low cost sanitary latrines for families living in poverty. For just Rs4800 (US$115) a family can have a clean, safe facility that can make a big difference to their health, not to mention their dignity.
Common materials and Rs 400 (US$10) worth of labour is all it takes to build one of these latrines. The Barman family of eight had a latrine installed in their house and is happy that diarrhea and other gastro-intestinal diseases are no longer frequent visitors to their home.
It may be years or even decades before the massive problems in health care will be resolved. However, some of the big changes may come when all Indians have access to basic sanitation and clean drinking water. And each one of us can help make that a reality.
Posted on
Thursday, May 1, 2008 at 1:30 PM
Category:
poverty in India
John Holmes, the U.N.'s top humanitarian aid official has released a statement saying that global food shortages and higher prices are more likely to cause malnutrition than outright famine, at least in the near term.
"People, particularly those on the lowest incomes, will be eating less and less well," he told a news conference in Geneva.
While it seems like good news that there will not be widespread famine and starvation deaths, malnutrition is as dangerous a problem, one that is silently crippling children.
A report on children and nutrition by UNICEF states:
* Malnourished children are much more likely to die as a result of a common childhood disease than those who are adequately nourished
* In young children, malnutrition dulls motivation and curiosity and reduces play and exploratory activities. These effects, in turn, impair mental and cognitive development by reducing the amount of interaction children have both with their environment, and with those who provide care.
* Robbed of their mental as well as physical potential, malnourished children who live past childhood face diminished futures. They will become adults with lower physical and intellectual abilities, lower levels of productivity and higher levels of chronic illness and disability, often in societies with little economic capacity for even minimal therapeutic and rehabilitative measures.
In a nutshell, children who don’t get the right food at the right age stand the risk of paying for that their WHOLE lives.
Agreed that everyone is feeling the pinch but for more fortunate people, it means sacrificing non-essential expenses to meet the rising cost of essential items. For the poverty stricken, it means not being able to give children the future they deserve.
“It was indeed great to receive the feedback reports. When one donates I know the common question which occurs in mind, where and how the funds would be utilized. These reports give us a very clear picture of the insights and also an oppurtunity to share this with our colleagues who have not started donating yet.”
someone's life, someone whom I have not yet met. I am overwhelmed with the thought that such small contributions from my end can make a big difference to the needy individuals out there. I would be looking to expand from what I am doing right now, to what else I could do in the future.
matters.”
