(EID-036) “SUSTAINABLE CHARITY”

Everyone agrees that there is a need to reduce the incidence of poverty (poverty reduction) and to lessen the sufferings of the poor (poverty alleviation). There are many charitable organizations that are implementing programs for poverty reduction or poverty alleviation or both, but there is always that problem of raising funds for the sustenance of these programs. In order to address this problem, the Inter-Charity Network (ICN) is looking into ways and means of raising funds for its partner organizations, to help them sustain their charitable works.

Traditionally, charitable organizations would often rely on donations in order to keep going, but donor fatigue would always get in the way, thus causing charitable works to run dry and to die out. Could there be an alternative to donations? The answer is yes, and that is to give supporters value in exchange for their money. That way, supporters are able to contribute to the raising of funds, without draining their own resources.

Taking off from the successful idea of selling Girl Scout cookies for charity, ICN is now coming out with a line of basic commodities that will be sold by its partner organizations through their own members. The products will give value to the customers in exchange for their money, but at the same time, they will be helping their favorite charities in raising funds. This is in line with the 2 in 1 strategy that ICN is adopting in its fund raising programs.

Also following the 2 in 1 strategy, ICN will be collecting recyclables through the members of its partner organizations, in exchange for product coupons. The participating customers will get value in exchange for their recyclables, but at the same time, they will not only be able to help their favorite charities in raising funds, they will also be helping in reducing the volume of solid wastes.

Also in line with the 2 in 1 strategy, ICN will be conducting market surveys through the members of its partner organizations, in exchange for product discounts. The participating customers will get value in exchange for their survey responses, while helping their favorite charities in fund raising.

Charity is as old as poverty. The problem of poverty may be the same from the beginning of time, but the passage of time has given us new ways of dealing with the old problems.