Of Charities & Foundations

There are also those who donate time, money, experience, skills or talent to help create a better world.  Anyone can be a humanitarian, regardless of status or net worth

A visit to Trixie’s when one is feeling in the blues is akin to having a good tonic. Walking into her very comfortable home, I found her with a couple of printouts in hand. I knew instantly that I was in for a treat as she seemed irritated. After our formal greetings, then organising some eats and beverages, she pointed to the printouts, questioning what one earth goes on in people’s minds when they decide to launch a foundation in memory of a deceased family member, make a huge hue and cry about it and deafening those who are willing to listen on how an impoverished or underrecognized group would benefit from their good work.   Once all of this is publicised and the foundation set up, they indiscriminately send out letters and messages seeking donations for the foundation or charity.  Trixie also noted that most of them have taken a leaf from international organizations and include a few photographs of the recipients looking sadly into the camera lense, hoping to guilt people to fish out their cheque books or effect a bank transfer. Trixie opined that if one decides to create a foundation or charity commemorating a family member, the family should dive into their resources instead of gallivanting or globetrotting, bragging about their personal fortunes and real estate.

 
Trixie firmly believes that charity begins at home and looks after the aides working in her home and others helping her.  Additionally, there are established orphanages and other societies that are desperate for funding to which she contributes happily.  She is definite about not contributing to foundations that are family based. 
In today’s times there are so many people who are in very difficult circumstances and there are those who help them on the quiet. There are also those who donate time, money, experience, skills or talent to help create a better world.  Anyone can be a humanitarian, regardless of status or net worth.  

Trixie also told me that she knew of many who have done great work with no fanfare and that is the way it should be done. She found it quite shameful that people have the nerve to ask others for money and then glorify themselves by publicising to the wider world their foundation’s activities or charities. 
Trixie is quite on point with her thinking.   I completely agree with her that there are very few philanthropists among us but many fund collectors.