Can social networks and virtual communities revolutionize charitable giving?

This is the question that Georgia Levenson asks in a post on Slate entitled “The Facebook Philantropos” (link). Although many people expect that philantropy will be democratised by viral marketing tools like Facebook’s ‘Causes’ application, or MySpace’s Impact add-on, the cold reality is that philantropy is yet another area of modern life where the 80/20 Pareto rule still is alive and kicking: 80% of the contributions to social causes come from 20% of contributors.

Should this discourage us from active participation? After all, a primary motivation for those donating money or time to worthwhile causes is to ‘make a difference’. When you put your contribution into context, it begs the question of ‘is it wortwhile’?

Because only you can answer that question, I’d like to share my perspective on the question. Every time I decide to conduct a Randm Act of Kindness, to donate money to a wortwhile charity, or to give some of my time to making a difference, I remind myself of the following: Only I can give my time, my money, my kindness. And when I do, I make a difference – no matter how small it may be – to someone’s life. To the millions of people that get helped by the millionaire’s contributions, my assistance meant nothing at all. But for the one person that my action helped, it meant the world. And that is why I choose to continue giving to others.

Who would have thought you could get paid good money for spending one year doing charity work?

Today I found out about Vodafone’s “World of Difference“. Here is another corporate citizen trying to do their bit for leaving the world a better place.

Sounds like fun, doesn’t it? I wish I had incorporated “Pass It Forward” as a registered non-for-profit organisation, so I could offer all of you the challenge of nominating yourself to work on promoting the PIF movement for a whole year – and get paid for it!

Maybe I will look into it for next year’s (2009) entries and get some excitement happening around here.

What do you think? If we were a registered charity, would you nominate yourself to work with us for a whole year? If yes, why yes? If not, why not?

It really is within your hands. Bring your angel within to live amongst us; and make the world a better place, one Random Act of Kindnesss at a time.

This year, I received a hamper from a friend as a Christmas present. I loved the gift, because I didn’t really need the food, and it gave me a wonderful opportunity to Pass it forward. These are some ideas of what you could do with it:

• Give it to the cleaners / security guards / waitresses of your workplace / favourite coffee shop
• Open it up and give every item as a small present to a stranger on the street. Make sure you add a Christmas card (and if you’re daring, a PIF card)
• Prove to yourself you can be kind to those you don’t like by giving it to an unlikeable colleague or acquaintance
• Walk a street in your town where homeless people often stroll or stay asking for charity; open the hamper, and start offering ‘one thing of your choice’ to every homeless person you come across
• Go to the local nursing home and leave as a surprise present to the resident who never gets visited by anyone
• Visit your church (or preferred charity) and offer it for a fund-raising raffle
• Give it to your Mum

The thought manifests as the word;
The word manifests as the deed;
The deed develops into a habit;
And habit hardens into character;
So watch the thought and its’ ways with care,
and let it spring from love borne out of concern for all beings…
As the shadow follows the body,
as we think so we become.

You see, thoughts are quite powerful things. On that basis, I can argue you just received a gift – by inviting you to have a holiday season full of joy, I planted the seed for a little more happiness in your life over the coming month.

The question now is: what present are you giving your acquaintances for Christmas? How would you like to give them something that can transform their life? Something that won’t cost you a dime?

This is what you need to do:

1. Choose a good deed to carry out today. (If you want ideas, check the Links section or the Ideas page)
2. Write about it : Tell us what you did, when, and how it made someone’s day. Write this on both a piece of paper and on an email to our address (see top-right corner)
3. Download a copy of the ‘PIF CARD’, print it, and glue back and front together
4. Choose a unique PIF identification name for the deed that started it all (I am personally choosing two initials to show it originated in Australia, and then a sequential number – I am up to “AU-00100″)
5. Write the PIF-ID on the card.
6. Put the card and the description of the deed on an envelope.
7. Give the envelope as a gift, and encourage your acquaintance to ‘Pass it forward’

Remember those pesky chain letters of the ’80s that evolved into chain emails? You will be starting one of those, with a difference: Rather than wasting postage and paper, you will be encouraging others to make someone’s day. At least a few of those you touch with your kindness will follow your example.

And someone else will be very, very happy that you did it. They will be the happy recipients of a Random Act of Kindness.

Wishing you a very Joyous Holiday season, and a peaceful and fulfilling 2008.