Be the Change: Donate to Make a Difference in Poor Children’s Lives

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  -Contributed by Prarthna Raheja Millions of poor children in India die every year because they lack quality healthcare, thus suffering from fatal health issues, such as congenital heart defects (CHDs). Genesis Foundation, as a prominent non-governmental agency, is working towards solving the crisis by offering medical treatment to critically ill, poor children. With a donation for heart surgery , you will be able to save lives and bring hope to families who can no longer access quality medical services. The Burden of Congenital Heart Defects in India Congenital heart disease is a very common birth defect in India, found in approximately 200,000 newborns annually . Such defects, such as heart structural malformations, usually require urgent surgical intervention or catheter-based treatment. Failure to treat these in time results in many children living with terrible health conditions or losing their lives. The socioeconomic context aggravates this issue, with families earning les...

Why are people scared to donate and how to win them over

We live in a society where some people are always there to help the needy people while others are willing to give but scared because they’re clueless about the methods of donation or scared of being fooled into fake causes. As middle class Indians, we are led to believe that most NGOs are a scam and the proportion of funds actually reaching the intended people is way too less. 

Those of us who feel like doing some social work in other ways, choose the route of volunteering – teaching poor kids, feeding people at an orphanage or a temple, and so on. There is no doubt that the gratification of a real interaction beats donating money via “unreliable” organisations every time.

But the truth is that there is never going to be a zero-corruption mechanism for aid delivery. Moreover, for working professionals, it is hard to volunteer personally with any regularity. To stay away from charity for fear of corruption is like staying away from driving for fear of traffic jams. Beyond a point, you have to accept that there is no perfect world and take the leap of faith. I think it’s important to do something and fail rather than not do anything at all. 

Here are top reasons why people are scared to give (And how to change that!)

1. Lack of financial resources
The first step to combat this mindset is to give people an option to donate small, affordable amounts. For example, in India, that has a population of roughly 133.92 crores; if even half of that population donates Rs. 1 to a charity, the collected amount would be around 66.96 crores, which is a lot!

2. Volunteering instead of donating money
Financial support is the backbone of all NGOs. For example, in fund raising events for childcare, it is vital that your audience is convinced of the utilization of the collected funds. A tailored campaign for regular donors helps bring in more resources.

3. Lack of trust in NGOs
Given the number of frauds happening online, this mindset is completely valid. It’s important to convince people of the credibility of an NGO by having proof of it by keeping all online documents up to date. Annual reports, case studies and testimonials by beneficiaries add an extra layer of trust.

4. Appeal to Empathize
It has been proven through research that we, as humans, feel empathy when we hear the story of a particular person as opposed to statistics or general statements. Personal stories appeal to potential donors more than anything else. 

5. Are NGOs really helping?
This is certainly a valid question for someone who goes through statistics with an outsider’s perspective. But it’s essential to educate people and make them aware about the work that an organization does. By telling people exactly where their donations will go or what they are going towards, helps build trust. For instance, Genesis Foundation, an NGO working in the healthcare sector for Congenital Heart Defects in India publishes every case study of the child and gives all the details along with regular annual reports.

Personally I feel one of the best ways to ask for donation is through fund raising events for childcare. It gives people a chance to interact and enjoy at the same time and doing it for a cause, working like a method of gratification.

- Contributed by Tanya Bhagchandani


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