An Interesting Interview

     We had an assignment to interview someone about their views on philanthropy and their involvement in the community and charitable organizations. I interviewed my Mum, who is involved in a lot of different organizations, both charitable and non-charitable. Sometimes it's a wonder she has any time left over for herself. She believes that it is important that people get involved in charitable groups and community service because it teaches people to worry less about themselves and focus on giving to others less fortunate. I think that this is true, many people tend to focus on their own problems and don't take the time to reflect on the fact that, no matter how miserable you might be, there is always someone out there who has it worse.

Meanwhile, we are getting ever closer to choosing the charity or charities we want to donate to...
ONWARDS!!

Communication Complications

     In order to get a better feel for the organization and those who are a part of it, it is a good idea to contact them and ask them questions about the charity they work with. If they are enthusiastic about what they do and enjoy working there, I am obviously more likely to donate to that organization than one where the receptionist is just annoyed that you called them right before their lunch break. A class period was dedicated to calling an organization we were interested in and asking someone a few questions, mostly to see what kind of people work there and how involved they are. Unfortunately, even just getting a hold of someone proved to be a problem. Many people were either sent straight to a voice mail or to unhelpful people. I myself attempted to call a foster home organization only to be met with a lady who didn't seem to want to listen to what I had to say and tried to redirect me somewhere else. On top of that, a lot of us were not treated as seriously as we should have been because we said we were high school students. It's not like we aren't trying to donate to these charities or anything... I understand that working organizations are busy, however as potential donors it is really frustrating when the group you want to donate to doesn't have time to talk to you. I was finally able to contact an organization that not only had time to answer my questions, but was enthusiastic about what we are doing. The Director of Social Services for SAY San Diego was more than happy to talk to me, and even though SAY San Diego was an organization we were not initially going to donate to, my group will definitely be putting funds towards it now. Message of the day: the more welcoming you are to those who call you, no matter who it is, the more likely they will want to donate to your cause.

The Importance of Numbers

     As I have learned, it's not enough to pick an organization based on their mission statement alone. Much to my chagrin, in order to know exactly how effective an organization is, there's math involved. Of course, it is very important that this math is done to make sure that your money isn't being wasted. Each charitable group must file an IRS Form 990 as part of their tax returns which shows how much income they made, how much of it was used towards their cause, and the expenses used to keep the organization functional. Obviously, if they spend more than they make, then you better start finding alternative groups to give your money to. After looking at the different 990s from various organizations, it's not actually as hard as originally thought, especially when you have a guidebook and a calculator. I have been looking at two foster-care organizations for children and have found that, though their aims and programs might be slightly different, they both make and spend about the same amount of money, which I take as a good sign. As I delve deeper into the realm of tax returns, we shall see if other organizations do as well...

A Cause for Children

     After choosing topics that we felt passionately about, we were separated into groups based on the one that we felt the closes to. I am part of a group of four who chose child and youth services as our first area of concern. We got to chat and it turns out we all care very much about children and their well being. For me, I have some very fond memories of my childhood. It is the only time where you can: be a dinosaur, run around in the mud, get food all over your face, and wear extremely mismatched clothes without getting a raised eyebrow. And while I must admit it is pretty fun to run around like a T-Rex, it's not quite the same as when you were five. Unfortunately, not everyone has the chance at a happy childhood. Whatever the reason, be it divorce or living situations or financial problems, people face hardships which are sometimes to horrible to imagine. I believe that every child deserves a safe home, and that is what I would like to contribute towards with the money we receive in this program. Fortunately my group feels the same! Our next challenge is to find the organizations we deem worthy of our time and our funds.

A Life Preserved in Brown Paper Bags

Task of the week: Find three things that summarize who you are and are able to fit in a brown paper bag.
     This becomes the sentence that seems easy to fulfill, only to find that it has been a week and you still haven't found a single thing. My frustration at this task steadily grew. How could I possibly begin to represent myself in the form of three small items?
      Of course, the whole point of this exercise is self-exploration; to find what makes you the person you are and what you believe to be precious. It's not supposed to be easy, it's supposed to make you think about what you care about.

After a deep breath and renewed concentration, I managed to come up with:
~A passport
     I absolutely LOVE travel and have traveled to England a few times as well as Scotland. I really enjoy seeing the world and experiencing different cultures; if I ever won a lottery this would definitely be how I would spend the money.

~An old film camera
       This represents my love of antique things, it could also represent my love of history. I believe that it is important to remember the past and learn from it. I can also probably claim the award for the only teenager to be excited by a record player or typewriter but, there ya' go.

 

~Goggles(specifically this pair that I made)

     I chose this pair because this shows my love of making and creating things. I am a huge fan of steampunk(A genre of fantasy involving steam powered technology which is generally set in the 19th century during Victorian England times, as if the future was set in the past. Much better summaries of steampunk are readily available on the internet...), and made these goggles to go with my outfit. I suppose that really these goggles represent creativity and imagination, two things I cannot live without.

                                

     I also learned a lot about others and what defines them. Several people brought pictures of their families, and many brought along headphones to show their love of music. One of my partners brought a small pillow that was made by her friends because she really cares about those close to her. 

     While this exercise might have seemed like an easy task, it's really a thought-provoking process designed to make you reflect on what you value in life.

An Unexpected Opportunity

Setting the Scene:
      A guest speaker cheerily walks into the classroom to tell us about a program we will be participating in called Main Street Philanthropy. He energetically explains to us that for the next eight weeks we will be learning about philanthropy and eventually donate money we raise to a few charities that we all agree on. While most guest speakers and eight week programs might not sound that exciting, I was intrigued because not only is this a chance to learn more about philanthropy and a chance to give to people in need, it is also a chance to learn a little bit more about myself and what I can do to help.