Philanthropy for the Rest of Us: Changing the World for 73-cents a Life
Dr. Chris Stout
LinkedIn Top Voice | Best Selling Author | Adventurer | Startup Whisperer | (Accidental) Humanitarian | APA's "Rockstar" Psychologist | éminence Grise
Ted Turner set an amazing example when he gave a Billion (with a capital B) to the United Nations. In 2010 Warren Buffett figured that Bill and Melinda Gates could be good stewards of his (sizable) estate in order to make the world a better place via their foundation. Next The Giving Pledge came into being — a campaign to encourage the richest people in the world to make a commitment to give most of their wealth to philanthropic causes. Amazing. And thank goodness.
I wish I could join this club. I wish you could, too.
But wait…
You may also have heard of Taylor Conroy. He’s the guy that started “Pocket Change Heroes” and he has done a very cool job of enlisting his friends, and his friends’ friends, and his friends’ friends’ friends, and, well, you get the picture... to make an amazing impact in building schools where they don’t exist and are very much needed.
Thanks Taylor. And thanks Taylor’s friends. You all rock.
I have learned first hand that there are a lot of innovative ways to change the world and a tip-of-the-hat to all of them, too.
I run a not-for-profit and I've previously written about how that all came about with no über-articulated plan other than wanting to help. In spite of that, we were are able to build a kindergarten (approved by the Ministry of Education in Tanzania), help train nursing students, provide food and meds, and help an orphaned little boy be accepted by his peers and adapt to his environment, and we've been able to do a few other things.
In my work I have seen a lot of malaria, and as is the case with most infectious diseases, it is an incredibly ugly way to die. It can be a preventable death — when intervention comes. While nets are great to prevent it, what if your family could not afford one (or three) and you contracted malaria, then what?
Well, we found out that the cost for a complete treatment protocol was 73 cents (in US dollars, er, cents). We also learned that 28% of those treated were children under the age of five. They not only got their life back, but also their future.
I think all of this is pretty cool and it seems like there are a lot of innovative ways to change the world. For billionaires – and for the rest of us.
One of the cool things about the web is that it is an organic, self-organizing thing that also has an abundance of tools (many of which are free) and it affords ease in communicating with just about anyone in the world.
I bet you may know of some other sites or people doing work in a similar vein, if so please do post and comment about them here in the Comments and/or email me and I'll also post them in our blog.
Let’s really amplify what Linkedin can do to change the world.
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If you’d like to learn more or connect, please take a look-see at https://about.me/DrChrisStout If you’d like to more about my Curated Library, shoot me an email. You can follow me on LinkedIn, or find my Tweets.
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Photo Credit: Chang Liu/Flickr
New Home Sales Counselor at Mattamy Homes
11 年I learned that giving to those in need is a way of "Pruning my Money Tree". It sounds like a business plan and in a way it is. I don't give 10% to a church but I always make sure to give back to God's creation: Humanity. I find people in need an most of the time I give anonymously. Try it, I promise it benefits you financially and emotionally. You feel great knowing that you have the power to help, even if its just a little.
Project Manager at ColorNet, Inc.
11 年What in the world is this love affair for Warren Buffet. Are you not aware of his control of Wells Fargo, the most predatory bank in America, more responsible for family evictions, theft of years of their monthly payments, their only real investment, their ability to retire to a smaller housing market? This man has betrayed millions of American families for a god damn dollar. Destroy lives, making us hopeless and homeless is Wells Fargo's #1 profit center. They are rated #1 in the worst banks with Bank of America coming in a distant second. Check illegal foreclosure, fake compensation, billions stolen from USA tax payers. Check with the indictments and now threatened DOJ Action. A real American would work out refinancing for those without VA, Fanny and Freddy Loans (government money, your money and your recession). A man , a patriot, and American would perforce be on USA's side and work it out with me and you and our neighbors. Warren is a greedy pig. Screw his "charity", I don't want his pennies, I want my house. Phil Di Marino
Reigniting Teams, Driving Performance. Ask me how to get your team aligned, re-energised, focused & connected. How your team "works" drives performance, engagement, energy, retention.
11 年I love this. it reminds us all that with a "little" we can change a lot.
Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Arringo
11 年It's good that rich people donate money. We have to support and appreciate that. But let's analyse for a minute... Some who donate, actually realize that the donation helps them first. Most became rich by following the rules of a material society, where separation is conditioned from the early education years, where intended fake scarcity is the main marketing strategy for companies, where in order for one to succeed, hundred have to fail in a winner-less competition. All that effort collides with their very nature and when the illusion of money and object referral (i.e. external) power wears off, they are left with the emptiness of their pointless, Ego based struggle. However, to paraphrase Dr. Martin Luther King: I have a dream, a dream where the donated money help solve the cause and not the effect. A dream where the human kind evolves spiritually and leaves behind the wild west civilization that promotes separation and scarcity and poverty and war and disease. A dream where philanthropy becomes the status quo of a unity based, spiritually evolved society.
Founder @ Infinite Coach | Executive Coach
11 年Wel, done. Because at the end of the day, the wealth of the masses supersedes the wealth of the few.