Our core values are such a major part of our experience in this class. What we grew up around, who we grew up with, the lifestyle we have plays a big role in the decisions we will be making in the next few weeks. I never considered what my “core values” really were before this class. I know that I have things that I am interested in, but I never really considered the reasons I am passionate about my causes as my core values. However, as I was writing my paper I realized my core values make up everything about who I am. This does not just apply to me though, it applies to the other 28 other people in the classroom that will be making this decision along with me. A big part of giving in general is based on ones core values. Your core values determine why you love what you love and why you want to invest into the organizations that you do.
As a class though, we are going to have to take these different experiences and turn them into a collective opinion on what non profit organization will win the grant. If I am being quite honest, that kind’ve gives me some anxiety. How do we really know we are making the best decision? How do we know that all these organizations at some point can donate from this money? I have always been interested in philanthropy and giving back in my community by providing physical service. I have never been in a roll where I have had this much money to give to others. Especially since it is not my personal money. I don’t know if that freaks anyone else out as much as it does me. I feel like the pressure is on in these next few weeks and if anyone else can relate I thought I could use this blog post to address those fears.
I have included some links below to some articles I read to help aid this decision. I know it is a lot of pressure to decide which of these organizations deserve the grant or which ones do not. It is a lot of pressure to meet many new people and find a way to support one another's core values to make such a single decision. However, I think over the next few weeks this pressure will ease and we will get to know each other more to be able to make a better decision. I am excited to see at the end of the semester who we will end up giving to.
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ReplyDeleteI think it is rightfully acceptable to feel nervous or anxious about donating such a substantial amount of money. $10,000 can do so much good to the organization that receives it, but is it really possible to make the wrong choice? We as a class are already making a great choice by being so passionate about philanthropy and wanting to donate. All of the non-profits that are eligible to receive the $10,000 have some reason why they want the money, and all of them have the ability to put the money to good use. Though in the end we will not be donating to all of the organizations, I do think that whatever place we give the money to will be the right choice.
ReplyDeleteChoosing where to donate is a difficult task. You are giving something to help others, which is an admirable thing to do in itself; but with that comes the pressure of choosing the right place. If I were able to, I would try to donate something to every single non-profit I am a fan of, but that just is not feasible. I tend to donate to the ones that promote either educational reform, or try to help others with the basic necessities to live comfortably. For example, I very much enjoy volunteering at soup kitchens. It is super rewarding to not just give people a warm meal, but to also feel good about being able to help those experiencing a difficult time. I did not have the best life growing up financially, and at some points, meals were scarce. I am probably also drawn to soup kitchens because of my own past experiences. My personal satisfaction in donating is feeling as though I am making a difference—I try to focus on places that align with my core values and beliefs and allow me to feel good about donating.
I did want to go back to a previous discussion we had about the “heart vs head” debate, as it is related to what we are doing as a class. When people choose to do good, they can either do so strictly from the heart, strictly from the head, or from both. What does that mean? What is the best approach? When people focus on what I will call “heart” philanthropy, they focus on emotion. “Head” philanthropy focuses on numbers and the facts. Those focused on “heart” like to donate to an organization oftentimes because they can connect with them, while those that are focused on “head” tend to donate to an organization that will make the best use out of a donation.
I think that to be an effective philanthropist, you must learn how to use the heart and head in tandem: you can think of the heart as being the voice that tells you TO give, and the head as being the voice that tells you WHERE and HOW MUCH to give. Another way to think of this is that the heart is the equivalent of grace, while the head is the equivalent of wisdom. You cannot let your emotions and feelings get in the way of making the most impactful donation. Seeing as how many cannot donate to every single non-profit they like, people need to learn to use both heart and head to be the best possible philanthropist.
I do feel that the class will make the right decision concerning where to donate. With so many organizations, it will be tough to do so; but I think that once we begin presenting on them and digging deeper, we as a class will be able to choose the best one to donate to.
Charlotte, I think this is such a smart topic to write about. I’ve also been thinking about how a class with people of different backgrounds, personalities, values, etc. It’s difficult to be impartial in these decisions (especially weeding through organizations) when someone has a personal connection or value that aligns with the mission of the organization.
ReplyDeleteWhile the decision making process can be difficult, I’m glad we as a class have discussed what goes into a healthy disagreement and how to work through those disagreements respectfully. I hope in class discussions everyone feels comfortable to express their points of view to be sure we are making the best collective decision.
I am comforted by the fact that any decision we make will “do good” for an organization that needs it. Any type of monetary philanthropy will be beneficial to whomever we donate so knowing that can have an impact is special.
Besides the money involved, we as students in this class are gaining a really insightful idea of what nonprofits are in this local area. Just from this first assignment, I feel so much more inclined to seek out this organizations later on. I can tell that other students are also more informed about the problems and organizations aiming to solve them in the community now.
Philanthropy comes in many different forms. Just because not every single one of the 84 applicants can receive our grants, they are gaining student exposure which can lead to future volunteers, employees, personal donations, and advocacy.
Charlotte,
ReplyDeleteI think it is amazing of you that you that the courage to open up about your concerns regarding the final decisions of the class. I believe the main reason why this class is so unique, is that we all come from such different backgrounds and experiences, and have such important core values. $10,000 is a lot of money. This is money that some of us cannot even fathom or conceptualize holding in our hands.
I believe that it is both a blessing and a curse that this money isn’t coming out of our pockets. The pros are that we don’t need to physically give up our hard earned money and we can almost effortlessly give it to anyone we deem worthy. The con however, is that we feel more pressured to allocate the money to the right organization. At the end of the day, we want to feel that we did the right thing and have a clear conscience. We all have this deep passion to make the world a better place and donate to those in need, but the hardest part is figuring out who needs the money the most. Since we all come from different backgrounds and experiences, most of us will have different ideas on which type of people need our services. Someone may have lost a family member to cancer and feels that we need to give our resources and attention to local radiation centers. On the other hand, someone may feel that the local Binghamton Wildlife needs much more awareness and support, and would want to donate our money to the Humane Society. What I am trying to say is how the heck are we all gonna get on the same page by the end of the semester? Are the people who speak the most going to mostly get their way? Are the devil's advocates gonna cause a ruckus and debate in every class session? Is someone who has a really intelligent comment gonna stay quiet simply because they are shy? These are the types of questions that stress me out as well.
I really enjoyed the question you asked about “How do we really know we are making the best decision?” The truth is, we can never really know if we are making the best decisions. At the end of the semester we are going to take a calculated and well researched investment. We are essentially investing in an organization to fulfill our class morals and core beliefs. Just like investing in a stock, we can always check up on our investment and make sure that everything is going well. Obviously we can’t sell out and get our money back, but we could always reach out to the organization director and ask how things are going. By trusting each other and making a calculated investment, our class will take a leap of faith, and partner with an organization that will make the world a better place. In a moment like this, this is a quote that comes to mind: “Give a Man a Fish, and You Feed Him for a Day.Teach a Man To Fish, and You Feed Him for a Lifetime.” If we give our resources to an organization that will benefit the Binghamton Community in long-term, there is nothing more we can ask for.
-Matt
Charlotte, I feel that this is a very good topic to write about. Many times people (myself included) go so long without even thinking to look inside themselves and try to see what their motivation is. People often times forget why they do what it is that they do. In the situation we are being put in right now with $10,000 to give away, it is imperative to make sure that we make educated, purposeful decisions. But before I was presented with this opportunity, I couldn’t remember the last time I personally looked at myself and refreshed my core values. After writing the core values paper however, I was reminded of what I care so much about and how it impacts my life and the way I think.
ReplyDeleteI must say, I am also rather nervous when it comes to the whole class trying to agree on a charity or value to embody. Even when I was trying to find a single value to write about, I had so many ideas that were important to me. I can only imagine what it must be like if each student in the class has the same feelings as me. This could make it very difficult to choose, but it is important to remember that this is a good thing. It is difficult because we are making an informed and educated decision, which means the money will be going to the best place possible. I have a feeling that we will all be able to agree on something, the challenge is just finding what that is.
Finally, I would like to say that I very much enjoyed the articles you attached. I thought this was a very unique aspect of your post, and I found the articles interesting. I thoroughly enjoyed the way the second article seemed to just touch every aspect of charitable giving. It made me feel as though philanthropy is a much more structured thing, not just a freelance practice where you could throw your money away. Great post!
-Thomas