The holidays are upon us and despite the challenges being faced by many, there are those among us who will use the upcoming festive season to give back and volunteer with those who are less fortunate amongst us.
While these activities are positive and have a feel-good element, it is usually advisable to have some form of structure around this and any other type of philanthropy.
In Corporate organizations, giving and volunteerism is managed through a corporate social responsibility programme.
Corporate Social Responsibility or CSR is a concept in which businesses make an intentional effort to streamline their community initiatives and interventions to enhance their communities as well as to build goodwill among their stakeholders.
Increasingly, however, we have seen where individuals who are touched by social conditions or inspired by the work of specific organizations, initiate programmes to enhance the lives and situations of the residents.
While a formal structure may be the furthest thing from these individual’s minds, there are certainly ways that donations and volunteerism can be streamlined to ensure effectiveness and that assistance is provided where it is truly needed. Here are some ways to donate and volunteer this season:
Work with registered charities & established organizations
If you are donating time, money or goods to charities and organizations, check to ensure it is registered as a charity and has structured programmes. Organizations such as these will have controls in place such as a Board of Governors to which they are accountable. This will show the giver how their donations are being handled and the impact on the lives of the recipients.
Collaborate with others
There will be some who may not want to work through existing charities and organizations for varying reasons, collaborate with friends and colleagues for impact. It may be a one-off intervention for essential workers or a more consistent programme aimed at the homeless or orphans in a children’s home. You can impact many more persons together than you could individually.
Do a birthday “giveback”
Those individuals who are fortunate to celebrate a birthday in months closest to the Christmas holidays can participate in a birthday “give back”. This is where instead of collecting gifts, you ask your friends to donate a specific gift on your behalf. On the occasion of my last two birthdays, I did a donation to Her Flow Foundation to help stop period poverty, while in 2019, a donation of toiletries was done to Mary’s Child, a home for pregnant teens and their babies. The joy of those donations still resonates with me today.
To read more, please purchase a copy of Buzzz Caribbean Lifestyle Magazine Vol 11 #2 at any supermarket, pharmacy or book store near you.
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Story by Sancia Campbell
The holidays are upon us and despite the challenges being faced by many, there are those among us who will use the upcoming festive season to give back and volunteer with those who are less fortunate amongst us.
While these activities are positive and have a feel-good element, it is usually advisable to have some form of structure around this and any other type of philanthropy.
In Corporate organizations, giving and volunteerism is managed through a corporate social responsibility programme.
Corporate Social Responsibility or CSR is a concept in which businesses make an intentional effort to streamline their community initiatives and interventions to enhance their communities as well as to build goodwill among their stakeholders.
Increasingly, however, we have seen where individuals who are touched by social conditions or inspired by the work of specific organizations, initiate programmes to enhance the lives and situations of the residents.
While a formal structure may be the furthest thing from these individual’s minds, there are certainly ways that donations and volunteerism can be streamlined to ensure effectiveness and that assistance is provided where it is truly needed.
Here are some ways to donate and volunteer this season:
Work with registered charities & established organizations
If you are donating time, money or goods to charities and organizations, check to ensure it is registered as a charity and has structured programmes. Organizations such as these will have controls in place such as a Board of Governors to which they are accountable.
This will show the giver how their donations are being handled and the impact on the lives of the recipients.
Collaborate with others
There will be some who may not want to work through existing charities and organizations for varying reasons, collaborate with friends and colleagues for impact. It may be a one-off intervention for essential workers or a more consistent programme aimed at the homeless or orphans in a children’s home. You can impact many more persons together than you could individually.
Do a birthday “giveback”
Those individuals who are fortunate to celebrate a birthday in months closest to the Christmas holidays can participate in a birthday
“give back”. This is where instead of collecting gifts, you ask your friends to donate a specific gift on your behalf. On the occasion of my last two birthdays, I did a donation to Her Flow Foundation to help stop period poverty, while in 2019, a donation of toiletries was done to Mary’s Child, a home for pregnant teens and their babies. The joy of those donations still resonates with me today.
To read more, please purchase a copy of Buzzz Caribbean Lifestyle Magazine Vol 11 #2 at any supermarket, pharmacy or book store near you.
Follow the Buzzz on Instagram and Facebook
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