We work towards improving lives

We work towards improving lives

Thursday 15 September 2011

Why should you donate to charity?


1. Charity donations are tax-deductible.

Sure, some portion of taxes go to helping those in need (welfare, disaster relief, etc.), but if we donate 1000rs, we get a large portion of that back if we list it as tax deductible. Suddenly your 1000rs donation is only 650rs. The point is to actually give the money away, remember?

2. Giving now is better than giving in the future.

It may seem like a small amount now, but a dollar today is worth more than a dollar tomorrow. Don’t wait until you’re super rich to give to charity. Your 100 rs now may have a larger impact on you now, but it also have a larger impact on the charity than if you waited 5 years to give that 100 rs, when inflation knocks that value down to about 85rs.

4. You really CAN make a difference.

SimplyGive is going to promote your money and it won’t be wasted and they won’t be spending it all on beer  instead it will go to someone who needs the help. Can you make any more of a difference than that?

5. You’re just going to blow it on something dumb anyway.

As pious as you are, there’s still extra money in your budget somewhere. Create a budget for charity donations, then some of your extra money (each month or each year) and donate it to charity. Use your spending money to make a difference instead of spending it on multiplexes (that costs 200 rs a ticket) or on restaurants that would just add to your calories. I am not saying don't spend something on yourself but think about it. Its doing the good deed that leaves you with satisfaction and not some dumb movie plot.

 And if you think you don’t have enough, take that extra 2% you’ll be earning next year and put that toward a charity fund.

6. You’ll help yourself at the same time.

Studies show that when individuals spend money on gifts for friends or charitable organizations, their happiness increases while those who spend on themselves get no such boost. Even Scrooge can agree that everyone wins.

7. If you don’t help now, you never will.

Don’t pretend that instead of giving money, you’re going to donate time. When was the last time you volunteered at the orphanage or at the disability clinic? Don’t let your mind fall for this trick. Send the money now or you’ll end up giving nothing.

8. Be a leader, not a follower.

Since other people don’t donate, you don’t want to either? If your friends know you’re giving to charity, they’ll be encouraged as well. And your friends are probably in credit card debt, too. Are you sure you want to follow their lead?


Readers, What do you think?  Should we be donating more or less this year?

Sunday 11 September 2011

Who are CARE4 AUTISM

Care4Autism Society is a non-profit centre for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The Centre's primary mission is to provide children with autism an intensive comprehensive educational program based on the scientifically validated procedures.W
 The front view of Care4 Autism
 Care4 Autism - The center for Austistic children
The Playground under renovation
 (now completed)

Volunteers- time to earn brownie points for doing good


What is volunteering?


Volunteering can be described as giving your time and energy freely and by choice without concern for financial gain. It can describe hundreds of different activities that people choose to do to benefit or support others in the community. The word volunteering is used for a range of activities such as community service, self-help, charity, neighbourliness, citizenship, public service, community action, community involvement, trustee, member, helper.

There are volunteering opportunities in many different avenues that SimplyGive Foundation offers you. 




Why should people Volunteer?



You can meet new people and improve lives by getting them to 

contribute to the society. 

People volunteer at different times of their lives for different reasons:
  • you might want to give something back to your local community or a particular group which helped you at a difficult time in your life
  • you might feel isolated and want to meet new friends
  • you may be unemployed/looking for a new career direction/have been made redundant so want to learn new skills and keep yourself active
  • you could have experiences and skills you’d like to pass on to others.
It’s flexible - you decide how much you want to do and when, taking into account the other commitments you have in your life. 
Although you won’t be paid, there are other rewards for volunteering: 
  • building up confidence and self-esteem
  • meeting people in similar circumstances
  • learning transferable skills
  • trying out new experiences
  • helping others as well as yourself
  • and very often, having a lot of fun!
There are many training opportunities you can access as a volunteer, it shouldn't affect your benefits and many volunteer organisations offer out-of-pocket expenses.  And it looks good on your CV - many employers look very favorably on volunteering experience. 



How Can I make a difference?


Yes. Volunteering is so much a part of society that it is often easier to describe the difference that volunteers make by imagining a society where no-one volunteered:
  • social and leisure activities would be significantly affected as there would be no rugby matches, sporting events or athletics, no Formula One motor racing or Olympic Games without the input of volunteer coaches,  organisers and marshals
  • there would be no music events, pop concerts, festivals, Urdd or National Eisteddfodau without volunteer fundraisers, organisers or St John's Ambulance volunteers
  • there would be little medical research or advice and support to people with specific problems
  • people would die without the Samaritans, the lifeboat service, cave and mountain rescue teams and the British Red Cross
  • our health service would be significantly impoverished without the donations from volunteer-organised activities, such as tea shops and library trolleys, hospital radio and community volunteers to help discharged patients or those coming into hospital
  • the criminal justice system would break down without lay magistrates, witness support and victim support volunteers
  • much of the landscape, wildlife and areas of natural beauty would suffer neglect
  • many older, disabled and vulnerable people would be isolated and lonely.
As a volunteer you can really have an impact on peoples' lives and the community around you, as well as making your own life more fulfilled and rewarding.


What can I do?


Whatever your age, interests or background, whether you can commit regularly or occasionally, there is likely to be something suitable for you. There are opportunities to volunteer in a wide variety of settings for example out-of-doors, in community centres or care homes, offices or your own home and you can take part in many different activities such as fundraising, sports, befriending, administrative work, or practical help and support to children, young or older people.What you do as a volunteer depends on what you want to achieve. Everyone has a personal reason for volunteering and you should choose something that will help you fulfil your personal goal.One of the best ways to find out about volunteering is to hear from the volunteers themselves.  You can read about the experiences of real volunteers in Wales by clicking on the links on the right hand side of this page.  We’ll be adding to these over the next few months.  

How do I get started?

Contact us and you will find umpteen avenues open for you.You can find information related to our work on our website www.simplygive.org.in

Saturday 3 September 2011

Celebrating Janmashtami- the birth of Krishna

A picture of Krishna in his childhood

SimplyGive Foundation aims at making lives beautiful not only through donations but by giving time and attention to those who need it the most. Celebrating festivals is the best feeling of togetherness. We made a visit to Care For Autism, a center at Hyderabad that aims at teaching the autistic kids, preparing them for a better tomorrow. 



It was a beautiful beginning of the day where the parents were also made to participate in their child's life. One just couldn't began to describe the expression on their faces. Some looked extremely happy and some with mixed feelings. 

There was a pooja (the religious rites of prayer in Hinduism) conducted with a beautiful Krishna on a cradle with flowers strewn everywhere. Each child got an opportunity to push the 'jhoola' (cradle). The programme was concluded with tea and snacks and it made a very fulfilling experience for all of us. 
Today we are motivated to do more for SimplyGive. 
Are you?

Friday 2 September 2011

SimplyGive and its vision

Simply Give Foundation was started in the mid of 2011 by two highly motivated educationists & social entrepreneurs AK Kundra and Mansi Bagwe, with a simple vision. They realized many a good intention suffers for lack of sustained availability of funds. They set out to use the power of the internet to enable people to raise far more for charities, easily and cost-effectively, particularly for charities working in the field of Child disability. They chose to help and support those working in the unique area to make these children independent and educated will mean a better world for them and their families living and struggling with disabilities.

  • In the next few years, SimplyGive will strive to change the face of charitable giving ( daanpunya ) in INDIA.
  • In UK & USA, charities have raised more through online giving and to us, there are far more Indians online than most countries put together.
  • Every nayapaisa ( Non-existant now) of every Rupee that a person donates through SimplyGive goes straight to their chosen charity . For this service, SimplyGive charges a 5% fee that comes for charities, and a Rs 500-a-month membership fee.On average, charities in the INDIA spend between 25 paise to 50 paise to raise every new Rs 1 by traditional means such as direct mail and street fundraising. SimplyGive will strive to reduce costs on both fronts, which is why charities find it such good value for money. 20% more!

Daanpunya Made Simple...

What is the meaning of Daanpunya?


Daan means Charity and Punya means charity for good. To make a difference in this world one has to take a step forward and SimplyGive is one such non-profit organization that strives to change the world of charity. simplygive.org.in has been designed to offer the very best service to both charities and fundraiser's alike - to help people have fun raising money for charity.


Also:

  • 1We provide a safe, secure online donation processing facility.
  •  
  • 2We charge a simple service fee of just 5% of the donations made to meet our operational costs.
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  • 3All the money raised gets sent directly to your chosen charity, less the PayPal processing fees and transaction charge. Your charity will then pay our fee.
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  • 4Through on line giving, we can significantly increase a charities income compared with the similar amount donated through traditional giving channels – up to 20% more!