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Today, I read an appeal for a fundraising event. Two snippets from the letter stood out for me:
“Our goal is to raise $31,000…”
And the event was being conducted by:
“…four guys who have each generated over $100 million for their companies, clients and students…”
See the anachronism here?
If 4 guys, EACH generating one hundred MILLION dollars, need to raise $31,000, surely the easiest, quickest way to do it is… give it out of their pockets?!
In 2003, I formally founded the Dr.Mani Children Heart Foundation. Since then, we have raised a little over $100,000 for non-profit purposes, from a variety of events and fundraisers.
Roughly 25% of the total has been donations I have personally made to the Foundation out of my business profits.
And I’m not computing the value of my time which is spent on activities of the Foundation related to fundraising and delivering services – all of which, by the way, are NOT compensated by even one cent in professional fees or charges or any kind of financial remuneration at all!
The share that comes from my business has steadily grown over the years. 2 years back, it was in the low 5-figures. And what if I were making $100 million? Scratch that. If I made just $1 million, then the Foundation would be getting $250,000 of that.
Charity begins from one’s self. When I ask someone to contribute to a cause or mission, I check if it is something I personally am willing to donate to. And then, I first do it – and only then invite others who are interested to join in.
If heart surgery were less expensive, I wouldn’t ask anyone for help. But at $2,500 for each operation, it’s takes a lot of money to reach my target of funding 100 surgeries for poor children with congenital heart defects every year.
Surely 4 centi-millionaires can raise a fraction of this amount without help?
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