Philanthropy - Giving with a Reason
Philanthropist isn’t a term reserved for tycoons with more money than they (or their extended families) can ever use in their lifetime. In the spirit of Christmas, we are reminded to remember those who are in need.
Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” Lk 18:22
Catholics have never cultivated the habit of tithing, which involves setting aside one tenth of one’s income for the church. Still, the concept is useful - to set apart a certain portion of one’s income. It was an exercise that I embarked on several years ago - to set aside a portion of my income for the Church as well as for worthy causes.
This proved to be much harder than I thought. For one thing, to sit down and calculate a percentage of one’s income of the year makes for a pretty huge figure even if the percentages are small. I “forgot” to make my contribution last year - looking back, perhaps it was an unconcious selfish habit that kicked in. Giving requires a concious effort because it’s all too easy to procrastinate.
Secondly, choosing worthy causes to contribute to is not an easy task for someone who wants to make the most of their contribution. Some people just give to any charity that they know about. But yet, there are different causes, some closer to the hear than others. Do I want to promote education, alleviate poverty, save the environment, cure cancer or fight AIDS?
There are so many causes out there and spending some time to learn about the organisation and its principles is often rewarding because you find out where the money goes and what they need. There are scores of small charities who do not have the profile to attract large donors, but nevertheless need the support that their limited reach can provide them. So go ahead, find a charity and support it. It makes giving more meaningful.
For the record, my charities of the year are the Family Life Society and Action for Aids.
Tsunami
The tsunami that swept countries bordering the Indian Ocean is the tragedy of the year. The body count climbs every day as the extent of the damage is uncovered by the efforts of relief teams. The press in Singapore has pages of coverage and hours of news footage as we try to come to terms with a natural disaster that has hit so close to home.