The interviews I conducted had pretty similar responses -- that people tend to fall outside the boundary of my opportunity for different reasons, it can't really be generalized. I found that there are people that no matter what solutions are brought up to this opportunity, they simply cannot fall inside the boundary.
Some people choose not to be involved with any type of charity or other benevolent event for a variety reasons -- such as some simply not having the necessary funds to even feed themselves. One of the responses was that the person was currently saving up for something that needed their full extra income (a vacation).
What I found interesting is that some of the responses showed a lack of belief in the charity itself -- some people don't believe their donation will actually go to anything, or that there isn't enough people donating things or time in order for a difference to actually be made. It goes again with the issue that some fundraisers or causes don't send aid in a direct form. Others said that there is simply insufficient public awareness in order to get people to truly become passionate about supporting a cause. Therefore, the underlying causes of the outsider's need has many different variations in why it is different than that of those who are inside the boundary.
Inside the boundary
- Who is in -- people that are affiliated with charities. This includes donors, workers/volunteers, and people on the receiving end of the aid.
- What the need is -- more efficient charities and more effective ways of making a difference.
- Why the need exists -- mismanagement, lack of incentives, logistical issues, consumer (donor) bias
Outside the boundary
- Who is in -- people that are not affiliated with charity organizations in any way, or haven't received aid from any.
- What the need is not -- It's not a matter of the lack of donors or internal faults with the charity organization itself, its outside factors that affect it.
- Alternative explanations -- some people cannot afford giving up extra things, conservation of donations for something that may be deemed more important in the future, disbelief in how their donations are being used, "if i didn't donate it wouldn't make a difference anyway" mentality, etc.
Hey Liana, the world needs more people doing this kind of good work. I definitely understand that it is incredibly difficult to break people free from the mentality that if they stop donating it won’t affect anything. The truth is that money and resources donated to the right organizations, with the right management, and the right mission can go a long way. Charity work is about a lot of people contributing to a greater cause. Whether that be a small or large contribution, it all matters. Always keep fighting for your cause!
ReplyDeleteHi Liana! This was quite interesting to read. I myself have given my time, though not my money, charitably on some occasions. You have an interesting idea on this account, I am just a little worried that it has already been tried. There already have been numerous business ventures that gave charitably based on people buying the good or service. Personally, I would have thought a consultancy for aid organizations that works to streamline their processes and optimize their workforce would have been a novel idea. All the same, keep up the good work.
ReplyDeleteHi Lana,
ReplyDeleteI can see the point of view that don't believe in the impact of charitable contributions. I talked to an volunteer worker who ran a parish in Haiti and his told me that getting people involved directly by visiting Haiti and see the parish was the best way to get people to invest. That's obviously not feasible for everyone but something along the lines of keeping the human element in sharing information about the impact of charities could be an option.