Styles of Giving

One of the things that Treasure House's key person (Mila) does exceptionally well is to identify projects that need to be undertaken - as opposed to just giving cash.

From a donor's perspective this makes the task of giving that much more tangible. In the last week I have contributed an additional AUD $3,500 which has been used as follows :

• Purchase of a laptop computer for children.
• Purchase of a digital camera so that photos of activities can be provided to donors.
• Purchase a new fridge.
• Repair of children's furniture.

I would encourage you to have any charity you support to take the approach of Mila at Treasure House.

When you can see the money at work it makes the benefit conveyed just that much more real.

Treasure House Visit

I have recently visited Treasure House in Fiji, and seen the wonderful work that Mila and her staff are doing in caring for the 17 orphans cared for.

I believe that if you are ever wondering why you need to be involved in philanthropy then just go and visit a cause. The good that your money / help does will soon become apparent.

Make Giving FUn

On Saturday night my wife and I attended a charity function entitled :  'Unmask the Cure'.  In aid of Brain Cancer Research.  As usual there were many auction items up for offer.

We bought our fair share for a really simple reason.  It is not about the value of an item, it is about the benefit of the funds in the hands of the recipient charity.  Although we give to many charities directly, with no 'reward', it is a bit of fun to be able to spend charitably and gain a benefit at the same time. 

One fellow curiously said that I had paid too much for things.  When I noted to him that the $8,000 my wife and I spent represented a good chunk raised on the night - and it was not about getting value - he just did not seem to get it at first, but after a 10 minute education I think and hope he did.

So my thoughts are these:

1. Attend a few events each year - they are great fun and for great causes.
2. Bid on the auction items on the basis of how much you are helping.  You don't have to go overboard - there are always things for $20 and up.  But it all helps the charity reach its budget.
3. Work out if there is anything that you are involved in that can be an auction item on the night.  A little bit of philanthropy can go a long way.

Keep giving across the GFC

Despite the fact that the world is in turmoil it is really important to continue to support small charities in their efforts.

In discussing the donor situation with many charity organisers the financial taps have been turned off for the smaller / emerging charities.  particularly those in developing nations.

The work that these charities do is so fundamental to the support of basic life for (in our charities case) children, that now more than ever they require support.  

A failure to adequately support will result in many charities being not able to continue.  Their collapse is in no ones interest.

Whether corporate or individual please continue to consider supporting the efforts of young charities.  The hundreds, or thousands, of dollars that you contribute could make all the difference.

Libraries in Vietnam ?

Michael was in town from BlueDragon recently and we started discussing the construction of libraries on the sides of schools in Vietnam.  Michael has done this before.  What a great idea.

So for a few thousand dollars there can be a simple structure built which is populated with books, and adds so much to the local community for the children.

We are going to commit to the building of an initial one which will be around USD4,000.  The 'tail of benefit' is long and fits in perfectly with what Kelly and I have envisaged this charity would achieve.  

Real benefit for children at a grass roots level.

The Phnom Penh Post

Our friends at the Cambodian Children's Advocacy Foundation have been interviewed by the Phnom Penh Post on March 16th about our contribution to their cause.

Our contributions in Cambodia are aimed at improving education for young children.

Why Are Administration Costs So High ?

I had a coffee with an interesting business contact on Friday who has a relative within a Global Charity Organisation. We both laughed at the perks this individual enjoyed. Tax Free Income. First Class Travel. The list goes on and on. Sounded like a pretty great job !

This is the problem I see with many charity organisations. They simply soak up so much of the giving (cash) into running the machine. This is wrong and should be stopped. In particular there should be full disclosure of the cost (on a percentage basis) of every dollar of giving that goes to administration. The shroud of secrecy around some organisations needs to be lifted.

For people that think they are doing good in donating to such organisations just stop and think. Work out the impact of the giving. Is it going to a beneficiary or is it going to pay someone's over inflated wage.