Good things come in small packages, better things come from small charities...

So you have all heard the phrase ‘good things come in small packages’ – a phrase that indicates that the smaller things in life are more valuable. In many ways that notion rings true. When a doctor delivers a baby, it is a small bundle of joy that is precious to both the family to which it has been a blessing to, but also to the pure existence and evolution of mankind. It is the small things that we value more in life – they are usually the things that we consider to be insignificant and take for granted, though without paying close attention to detail they are the things that we work hardest for and endeavor to maintain.

Charities exist for the mere fact of making a difference in the world – whatever the cause, their individual objectives all strive for a communal primary objective – to provide help and aid to those in need. 

Small charities appear to be the shiny diamonds that are so rare to come across. They work hard to secure things that will make a difference to the cause, rather than adopting the ‘spend money to make money’ model. Many of the larger charities employ large amounts of people to dictate vast areas of the ‘business’, although they are run under a ‘not for profit’ structure they rely on methods that involve large sums of money being spent on advertising and paying the wages of street fundraisers to generate an income. So really how much money is generated and given directly to the cause?

With smaller charities, there are fewer beneficiaries and it is notable that any money raised (through fundraising events or other charitable causes) goes directly to the cause in which it has been raised for. Take for example, the two surgical tables that have been donated by St. Thomas’ Hospital in London to a desperately under equipped hospital in Uganda. Through the Ganda Foundation and Dr. Sangeeta Mahajan (Ambassador of Ganda Foundation), two six year old hydraulic operating tables will be handed over at a prestigious ceremony being held at Kawolo Hospital Uganda in a few weeks time. This is a huge deal. This small charity has provided a hospital that has had no new (or even used) equipment since it was built in 1967 (see Ganda Foundation website for more information). Instead of appealing for funds through advertising and street fundraisers, this charity has taken the bull by the horns and approached establishments that can make a difference immediately upon receipt.

Another noteworthy charity that I have had the pleasure of being introduced to is UK Travel Goods Industry Support for Schools, which is a small charity aimed at rebuilding community schools and raising awareness and funds for orphans in Zimbabwe. This charity, like Ganda Foundation, puts the cause at the heart of everything they do – any money raised from events (like the recent That’s Entertainment gig held at IndigO2), functions and donations get pumped directly into building schools and providing basic amenities that we take for granted to the communities in Zimbabwe.

This leads me directly to my point that neither of these small charities that I have mentioned, rely on hounding people for money or spend a small fortune on advertising – they simply do things that earn recognition and support. I am in no way saying that large charities don’t do their part for the causes in which they support, because they do it to the best of their ability. However, I am saying that it is the smaller charities that seem to be overlooked because they are not publicised to the same extent. They seem to make a noticeable and dramatic impact to communities but somehow still go by unrecognised. These charities are run by the hearts of their founders, volunteers and workers – not by their organisations. It seems to all boil down to charity awareness.

For more information about the Ganda Foundation or UK Travel Goods Industry Support for Schools follow the links below:

www.gandafoundation.com

www.support4schools.org

Over and out for now. Weez