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?
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:
Over
and out for now. Weez
excellent thoughts, and oh so very true!
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