Our class discussion today got me thinking more about why we donate and how to fit your interests with where you want to donate to. This poses an interesting question because it is evident through all of our classes thus far that many of us have strong beliefs that vary greatly each one of us to the next. Though this is something we have all been forced to consider and delve into, it may also be different exploring this on our own, as opposed to being told to in a group setting. However, being faced with this question and forced to explore it can certainly allow individuals to reflect on themselves, as well as provide a way to track the progression of their own beliefs and values which may be constantly expanding or changing altogether. For instance, I have always known my passion was education and my beliefs were children-focused. Yet in learning more about others’ beliefs, I have noticed advancements in my own thinking and values.
I have now realized that in order to improve education, there are many avenues that must be explored due to the many factors that influence the quality of education children receive such as their parents’ involvement, the child’s health, and the learning environment itself. Because of the conditions that affect not only the issues regarding education, but any social dilemma, it is challenging to determine what is necessary to begin making any improvements. In our class’s situation, we must figure out what impact we want to make in education which may be giving them positive mentors, creating better conditions in schools by providing resources, or improving health programs within schools.
Another personal question that the class cannot fully answer collectively is why we want to give in the first place? In addition to the reason of social pressure, which is explained in the NPR recording, there are more that have been studied that may come into play. For one if a cause triggers an emotional response one is more likely to give. Additionally, those who are associated with others who give or have previously given themselves may be more likely. Our class cannot possibly even begin to answer this question due to the uniqueness of our situation—we are being told to give, how much, and have to “agree” on where to give it. In reality, many class members would not choose to give to education but rather another cause that may be more personal to them, as we have debated. It is evident that many people feel strongly about and have connections to different causes which have appeared to drive our decisions so far this semester.
Because of this, I was wondering what drives your motivation to donate outside of our class? Where do you donate your time and/or money, why, and does it fit into what we decided to donate to as a class? Have your interests or values shifted at all throughout the time of this class while learning about other people’s beliefs?
Most people give their time or money to an issue area they believe that needs their help. This is from passion they have generated from past experiences in life. It makes people feel they have done more if they are donating to something that has a personal impact on their lives. My motives come from past experiences. I do the MS walk every year because I know people that have been diagnosed with MS. It saddens me that these people have been affected by this disease and it makes me want to help. Social pressure is another big reason why I donate my time to help a cause. This year my fraternity have implemented ideals in me where we need to help the community. Together we give out free community meals at the First Assembly of God on Wednesdays because it is right across the street from our house. We did the dance marathon this past weekend and have participated in multiple events on campus, most from greek life, that are for causes such as the dodgeball tournament that was called "Dodging for Donations". Every year in May we do a keg roll where we drive to Syracuse and then take turns running back pulling a keg. We go around the community and collect donations. The past two years we have collected for Danielle House but we are going back to our fraternity's national donation and giving to St. Jude's Childrens Hospital. The only one of these that affects education is the community meal at first assembly because kids come in that are malnourished and they get a dinner. This can allow them to pay attention better the next day in class. My values have not shifted throughout this class, but my eyes have opened about how I can make changes. The issue area I believe in is the same, but now I know that there are many different strategies that need to be put in place to make a large difference.
ReplyDeleteAlexa, I really enjoyed your post because it addresses the fact that we as individuals and philanthropists have to know why we are donating and what causes us to give our money to a certain organization. Personally, I found that most of my answers to your questions are a result of what we wrote about in the second reflection paper: our core beliefs. Outside of class, I have given both my time and money to organizations that are helping children with special needs have fun and organizations that are trying to find cures for some of this generations worst diseases. I have given to these organizations because my core beliefs are that every problem has a solution, we just have to find it, and that everyone should have the ability to enjoy the little things in life like kicking a soccer ball. Unfortunately, this does not fit with what we are donating to as a class, but I am still very pleased that we decided to give our money to education. I am still pleased because I think that my interests have shifted because of information that I have obtained through the readings and through other people in this class. Even though my beliefs suggest that I would be a supporter of donating to organizations that help the mentally handicapped or a research organization, I decided to support education because I thought that is where we could make the biggest difference due to information that I obtained through listening in class and doing the readings. Many of the readings we have done have spoken about effective philanthropy and I found myself starting to believe that the most effective philanthropy would be the giving that gets to the root of a problem. The class and the readings swayed me and partially changed my outlook on giving because now I see that in order to truly make a difference we must empower people and give them the ability to help themselves rather than trying to do everything for them. So, my interests and values have changed due to information that I have received in this class and because of the insightful opinions of others.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy volunteering my time because it is a fun way to get involved in the community while also making a difference. Because of this, I have actually chosen to try to pursue a career path in non-profit management. Some people think that its selfish to volunteer simply because it makes you happy but that is truthfully the reason why I do it. I also never thought to sit down and find what I’m passionate about and where in the world I wanted to make difference until recently. I am a member of the Student Volunteer Center and although they have predetermined where we can donate our time, I find that I usually respond to the opportunities that have to do with kids. I worked in a daycare at home and really enjoyed it. However, I feel as if I would rather volunteer with animals. I think that animals are very fascinating so that’s the first thing that sparked my interest. Animals are also unable to speak or help themselves when they need it and I feel as if I could be a voice for them and help them when they need it. The ASPCA commercials break my heart and I would love to rescue all of them.
ReplyDeleteAlthough animals and kids are obviously very different, they do have some similarities. Children, like animals, have a hard time speaking for themselves and they need a voice when things get hard for them. They also get lost along the way, especially if their parents are lost they need a hand to show them the right way. I’m glad that we have decided to donate money to help children in the area because they are the future. Some may move out of the county and others won’t but helping even a small amount of children can really impact them as adults in a positive way.
During this class, I have noticed that my beliefs have shifted in multiple ways. In the two papers that we have wrote so far, I focused on food insecurities because until recently, I wasn’t full educated on the topic (I’m still not but I know more now and feel as if this is place that would make a difference in the lives around us). This never sparked my interest and now that it has, I feel as if making a dent in this large problem can go a long way.
Like everyone else has mentioned, I am more likely to donate my time or money to an organization that I have a strong connection with or that has impacted my life. I especially like attending events like Relay for Life that benefit the American Cancer Society. I was part of a team in high school and we attended the event every year and spent the months before doing bottle drives and other fundraisers to raise money for the event. Relay for Life was a great way to connect with my community and it was a lot of fun, on top of being a great fundraiser. At first the event was just a great way to connect with my community and my friends while helping a cause, but in my 3rd year of doing the event 3 people in my family were diagnosed with cancer and the event took on a new meaning for me.
ReplyDeleteAlexa, I like what you mentioned about the class changing your views and making you think about what you believe. I feel the same way about our discussions. Reading A Path Appears has especially made to think about how important giving is. The stories in Path Appears are great examples of how one person can make a difference, even if it just in one other person's life.
I wasn’t sure whether to post this here or on Ben’s blog post because my answer is in response to sort of a mix of the questions asked in both. A big aspect of giving for me is if I can see the impact it’s making. Seeing the impact for me is partially emotional, but partially rational because in the past, that has been the easiest way for me to understand if an organization is truly making a difference. For example if an organization’s website has clear evidence of the impact it’s making, I’m more likely to give to it. I think this class will broaden my horizons and allow me to see how organizations are making an effective change without it jumping out at me. I’ve realized a big part of what appeals to me when I give is the emotional response a cause produces. I think this is true for a lot of people, and it’s not a bad thing. I believe that the balance between giving from the heart and giving from the head is what makes good philanthropy. I recently came across a website, donorschoose.org, where you can donate money directly to a classroom project. Teachers, usually in poor areas, can create projects for people to donate to. They can ask for certain types of books, resources, etc. This appeals to me personally because I can see exactly where the money goes, who the people that will benefit from it are, and how they will benefit from it. In high school I had an English teacher that really cultivated my love of literature. He was extremely passionate and used the material to not only teach us about literature as an academic subject, but also about life. One of his life philosophies was that if we are fortunate enough in this world to be given the opportunities that others aren’t, it is our moral duty to give back to them. Having him as a teacher made me truly appreciate English/literature, so I am thinking of donating to a classroom that is in need of books. It’s not a large scale approach like I am usually thinking of, but it strikes a personal chord. I know it has been discussed a lot in this class and I don’t want to be too repetitive, but I am finally realizing the importance of balance between giving from the head and giving from the heart. I see this relating a lot to the David Brooks article, and I agree wholeheartedly that one shouldn’t just be a machine to redistribute money- there should be some personal connection, if not all the time, but at least sometimes, so that we can remember why we are being philanthropic in the first place.
ReplyDeleteAs some other people have mentioned, there are a myriad of reasons why people give, whether they be social pressures, personal connections, emotional responses, feeling of social responsibility, or even for recognition. Personally, I am more likely to give to organizations or causes that I have been involved in or that I have seen help someone I know. I think that giving of time/ volunteering is a great way to make a difference in an area you care about and by becoming involved, you gain a new understanding of why the organization is important. These kinds of personal connections can drive giving, because you feel more confident in the fact that the organization is making a difference, as opposed to giving to an organization that you are more removed from. Outside of class, I mainly give and participate in fundraisers for cancer research organizations such as Sloan Kettering and the Susan G. Komen Foundation, because three of my family members have lost battles to cancer and giving to these organizations in their memory will hopefully help to prevent other people from dying from cancer in the future. Doing the reflection assignment also helped me to really think about what life experiences have shaped my beliefs about the importance of education and youth programs and how I could give to impact that issue area. Hearing other peoples' opinions about giving during discussion has also made me realize how important it is to try to treat the root causes of societal issues for more lasting improvements in the long run.
ReplyDeleteAlexa, you've raised many interesting points. I think the question, "why do we donate" or "what are your philanthropic interests" are questions we have been forced to think about because of our decision to participate in this unique class, but questions we haven't really considered before.
ReplyDeleteI think, above all other reasons, its the nature of human beings to try to leave an impact on the world we live in before we go. To many, the sole purpose of existence to have your name and actions echoed throughout time.
It is the driving force to many of our life goals and paths. For many of us the question, "where should I donate" is ultimately geared to follow the question, "how do I want to leave my own legacy?"
In my own case, I wish to impact the generations who follow me in a positive way -- to give children the opportunity to develop their minds in a safe, positive environment. To others, its to make the world a more sustainable place, or to change how people treat animals, etc.
I believe in order to reasonably answer the question, "where should I donate" there are many questions one must answer beforehand.
Alexa, you asked some very good yet difficult questions. First, I think that most people donate based on what there heart tells them, not their head. Although we in this class have been educated on what truly effective philanthropy is, it is important to recognize that most people haven't taken a philanthropy course. They are more likely to donate based on a picture of a starving child than a statistic of an organizations success. This is not necessarily a bad thing as people are usually more willing to donate time and money to something that they feel personally connected to.
ReplyDeleteI think the question of why we want to give is also very important and complex. It is good to feel that people give out of true altruism. I think that this is the case for a large portion of philanthropy. There is a Kantian argument that people do good to feel good about themselves, so they are really selfish. I disagree with this idea. If someone does a nice thing and feels good, I think its all the better. As the NPR discussion stated, some philanthropy is the result of social pressure. Although this is not ideal, I would make the case that since no one is forcing these people to donate, and since their donations are helping people, then this is not such a bad thing.
Personally I donate for a couple reasons. One being to make a difference. Most of the charity work that I do is at my local church. I feel close to those I work with, and I feel better when I can impact the life of just one person.
Alexa, I agree that we all have different reasons for giving, varying from personal experiences to beliefs and religions. I also have noticed that as I continue to listen to what our classmates' individual beliefs and feelings on philanthropy are, my own beliefs get swayed. This is easy to understand, because there are so many valid different issue areas to focus on in the Broome County alone, and with each different area comes detailed and legitimate reasons for it's importance.
ReplyDeleteYour thoughts about where to begin our focuses on helping childhood education remind me of our previous discussion of the never ending circle of poverty. These ideas are similar, because there are so many different places to begin tackling in both these situations, and it's sometimes unclear where the "right" or "most needed" areas truly is.
What drives my motivation outside of class is helping to alleviate a problem that I can physically see if my life. For example, helping to feed homeless people. This class has shown me that there are many other differences in this world that can be made with my time and money, and I have learned how to better asses these issues to make the most meaningful and productive impact possible.