Why should you give to charity?
Give more, receive more
IN the subject of personal finance, so much has been written on the topics of wealth accumulation, money management and even income generation. What I thought lacking are articles on giving. I don’t claim to be an expert on it; and that’s not a bad thing. Everything is based on personal experience and not something that was learned through lectures.
Just like any other aspect of financial management, giving is also subject to debate. Each and every one of us has an opinion such as:
What should you give?
How much should you give?
To whom should you give?
There is really no right or wrong answer. And everything is based on one’s environment although religion plays a big role in shaping our minds into how we give.
Like in my case for example. Years back while I was still attending this particular church, a church leader stepped on the stage and gave a short speech when it was time to tithe. His “pep” talk included tithing as “a form of investment”, and that if we wanted to be blessed abundantly, all we needed was to give bountifully as well. Message of his talk: give more, receive more. I was dumbfounded for a while. I don’t share his belief. I tithe or offer or donate not because I see it as a form of investment and expecting anything in return. I do what I do because I feel I had, and continue to have, so many blessings; and that I would like to bless others with it too.
My sister once told me, “God does not need your money. But when you give, you release yourself from the bondage of greed.” Needless to say, I stopped going to that church.
Charity is not about the amount you give. It’s what comes from the heart. Jesus emphasized this when He lauded the woman who donated two coins over the other one who gave a whole lot more. No matter how little you have, you can always give something. That’s why I find the initiatives of a certain Buddhist organization commendable. They hand out bamboo coin banks and encourage others to save as little as P1 a day. Add them up and they still get thousands. Best of all, they empower the poor to believe that their condition does not limit them from helping others too.
However, giving is not just limited to financial aids. The two underrated but equally important resources to also offer are time and talent. Sometimes, you could donate a huge amount and still feel crummy inside. At times, there’s the nagging feeling that you could have done more; seemingly no satisfaction from whatever you just contributed. After all, there are just some things money literally cannot buy.
Case in point, 2013 has been a fantastic year for me and I thought it was just right to share the blessings through an outreach program. To make the event more meaningful, I celebrated it on my birthday last August. Months leading to the activity, I was corresponding with a friend who offered to help when I casually mentioned it to her. Weeks before it, she broached the idea of partnering with a large and professional organization to conduct the outreach. I thought we could do it ourselves but she did say they’re more than experienced in handling programs like this. I didn’t find anything wrong with that; but the number of people from the organization present that day did surprise me. In my mind, lots of them were non-essentials. However, they needed to be fed as well. If I had infinite resources at my disposal, I wouldn’t mind. But I didn’t have that luxury. The amount could have been added to buy more gifts and prizes for the kids.
Another thing was most of the preparations were delegated to her staffs. I was consulted for some of the activities and when I realized I might not even do anything except to fund it and show up; I insisted on shopping for toiletries as part of the gift to our beneficiaries. Overall, they did most of the job—an amazing one if I say so myself. But since I didn’t do much, I felt I was relegated to the role of financier. It was disappointing. Part of the joy of conducting an outreach program is the preparations and planning, all with the goal of putting smiles on kids.
And smile they did. The whole program was fulfilling and I was glad to have been part of it. I couldn’t have asked for a better gift. That was my first but it inspired me to continue doing it. Best of all, I realized one important thing: charity is not always about money. If it were, I wouldn’t have had an empty feeling initially. There are times when just doling out monetary contributions is sufficient. But this is not one of those.
True altruism is indeed priceless.
Kendrick Chua is a Registered Financial Planner of RFP Philippines. He is a Financial Adviser and holds the qualification Certified Investment Consultant. He is also regular host of Chinoy TV.
Source: http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/why-should-you-give-to-charity/
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