The Joy of Giving

We are in the midst of #DaanUtsav - the festival of giving, and an annual reminder that the secret to happiness is helping others. It is a time to introspect on whether we have sufficiently used our blessings to buy happiness through the simple act of giving.

There are many ways to give. Some are spontaneous givers and reach out for their purse/wallet right away, on spotting an opportunity to help someone needy. Many are religious givers, seeking to do good in this lifetime / ensuring safe passage to the after life. There are diligent givers who research trustworthiness of the recipient or intermediary before making a donation. Then there are cause givers, who feel deeply about a certain societal problem and seek out the organization best known to deliver effective impact in that area. Spiritual givers feel little ownership for their material posessions and take every opportunity to be a conduit for flow of wealth. Logical givers understand how wealth can best serve their charitable intent and build a legacy with it. No matter which category they belong to, all givers have two things in plenty -- empathy, and a bias for making a difference.

A difficult step in learning the art of giving is deciding on how much to give. There are several rules of thumb ranging from "it is the thought that counts" (sure, but is it enough?), to "give till it hurts" (is that wise?).

As I look back at my own giving journey, as a fresh college graduate celebrating my first paycheck, I gave 25% of what I made that month. That year, I donated roughly 10% of what I made. Over the years, as I climbed the corporate ladder, my donations stayed flat, and the decline in giving, in percentage terms, was drastic. Within 10 years, it had gone below 2%. In 15 years, it was well under 1% - and I hadn't taken notice!

It is a well known fact that the poor give more than the rich. The rich of course pay more taxes, but giving to the government is no excuse for not giving for good. My hypothesis for why quantum of giving dips as one climbs the ladder of prosperity, is that this journey focuses our gaze upwards. We simply forget that the rungs below are filled with people left behind by market forces, who need a nudge to undertake their own journey upwards. As distance between the climber and the needy increases, empathy dips, and so does the quantum of giving.

A great way to rebuild empathy is "to take a walk on the other side". It helps to get out of the suburban cocoon, and go into the slum, the village, the miners' colony - all filled with potential, but lacking in opportunity. Improving the human condition is a better goal and purpose than becoming rich. I am a capitalist at heart, so I give to causes of financial inclusion, skills development etc (and work at a nonprofit with this theory of change). If you are a socialist, just give, and spread the wealth.

So back to #DaanUtsav - that culminates on Oct 2nd - how do you feel about joining in the celebration? Give with joy, and get the joy of giving.