January 25, 2009
Making a Difference
OK.
I am so NOT a video post kind of person. (Ironic, considering I work in video). But today, I just felt that I wasn’t able to say what I needed to say in text. So here you go. I hope it’s clear.
Making a Difference from Sue Murphy on Vimeo.
5 Comments
For a “non-video” person you sure make a pretty powerful statement, Suze.
It’s a privilege to know you.
Danny Brown’s last blog post..Rocks and Foundations
Thanks Sue,
I appreciate the fact that you open up to people to support in different ways. Especially in these times of tough finances for some.
I’ll RT this one for sure 🙂
Regards
/@pr_persson
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What a great citizen of the world you are, Sue!
It takes guts and passion to make both this video and the one you’re putting together. If people had a twelfth (all puns intended) of the passion you have, we’d make a massive difference.
Well done and all power to 12 for 12K !!
Cheers, Iggy Pintado
Sydney, Australia.
Iggy Pintado’s last blog post..Got a minute? A short message from Iggy
Hey Sue,
I was all ready to donate my $10 and then some uncomfortable questions popped into my head that gave me pause – and, for which, I don’t have answers.
1) if I’m not giving $10 to my local food bank or, better yet, 2 hours of my time week – then why am I giving $10 to organizations in some other country that I only know about by reading their website for 10 minutes and hearing you and 12 for 12 say they’re good?
2) if I want independent verification that these companies are legit I have to research them myself – making me far less likely to contribute.
3) isn’t using social media to raise money for far away charities – without actively encouraging folks to get actively involved with local charities – promoting a lack of real relationship building? i.e. encouraging us to take the passive, easy route of giving money instead of the hard route of working with people in our own communities?
Like I say, I don’t have answers – just questions….
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Hi Robin,
Just wanted to answer your valid questions.
1. With the 12for12k Challenge, like any charity, it’s up to you whether you donate or not. We will give you the charity that we’re supporting and then you can decide whether it’s something that you want to support or not. If you prefer to give to the local food bank (which I do frequently here in Toronto) then that’s great – it’s going to people that need it, much like the donations to 12for12k.
The reason that we choose international as well as national/local charities is simple – they need our help. There are many charities that don’t receive any kind of governmental funding and these are the ones we are trying to target. Yet they can also have a local outreach.
Take this month’s charity, Stop the Silence – sexual abuse of children happens everywhere, yet much of the statistics are covered up. Food banks are in the open – sexual abuse of children isn’t – that’s why we choose charities like it.
2. Every charity that 12for12 chooses has been thoroughly researched. It has to have less than 10% admin costs, it has to have its accounts available to anyone who asks (often they are on the website), and it has to be a registered 501c charity (or similar). We do the research to ensure the money donated is going those who need it. Obviously people will want to research themselves if needed, but is this any different from researching charities in hometowns and cities?
3. We simply suggest donations because the charities are in desperate need of funds. As I mentioned, we feature charities that have local as well as international outreach. Yes, people can work with local charities and donate time instead of money and I would always encourage that. But I’d disagree that donating funds to charities abroad isn’t building relationships.
To a kid that’s lost his or her limb because they’ve been forced into life as a soldier, donating money to help recuperate and get them away from that is a relationship.
To stop the sexual abuse of children and offer them a safe haven from predators is a relationship.
For the other charities that we will be supporting through 2009, offering our help and support is building a relationship.
At the end of the day, if we’re in a position to help and we can, then that’s a great motivation right there, local or otherwise. The choice will always be up to the individual, which has always been the thinking behind 12for12k.
All we’re doing is offering a call to action. The rest is up to you.
Thanks for your questions, as I said they are valid ones and I appreciate you bringing them into the open.
Danny Brown
Founder, 12for12k
http://www.12for12k.org
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