Why do people donate for social causes?

Introduction

Social causes are basically different types of social issues or problems faced by people living in a country. In India, we have a number of pressing issues that engulf the lives of people in different sections of the society. These problems are often complex and a number of factors are associated with them which make it difficult to resolve the issues in a single go.

Many of these social causes actually take years of government intervention for effective management. In many cases, the national, regional and local governments work together to control the problems that impact the lives of people in a given locality. There are also several research groups and non-profit organizations working to alleviate problems from the lives of people by trying to effectively manage the problems that make their lives difficult.

Leading celebrities and well-known men and women often come together and do their bit by generously donating to the different types of social causes that impact the lives of men and women in India.

Types of social causes

People in India face a wide range of social issues for which it often becomes necessary to receive adequate funding. Here are some of the most serious and grave social causes that attract the attention of nonprofit organizations, social welfare groups, and activists.

Save the girl child

• These programs aim at helping the cause of girl children in all parts of the country. In many parts of India, girls are ignored as the family mostly yearns on having male children.

• Boys can serve as bread earners of the family and they can also help to carry the family name. However, if a family has girl children, they have the additional burden of getting the girls married when they come of age. This naturally leads to a process where growth and development of girl children are heavily ignored.

• There are also the problems of female infanticide and female feticide which involves the killing of newborn girls or female fetuses while they are still in their mothers’ wombs. The save girl child programs ensure those girl children are properly taken care of and that their medical, educational and other needs are properly taken care of. It also involves carrying out special campaigns to educate people about the value of female children so that social evils like female infanticide and female feticide can be minimized.

Education

• Lack of education and illiteracy is one of the most serious concerns in the lives of people in India. While most people living in urban areas have access to basic means of education, there are still many parts of India where people have little access to such basic necessities.

• In fact, in many families living in rural areas, there is a complete lack of understanding about the value of education. Poor education not only makes it difficult for them to find good jobs but it also serves as a major hindrance when they are looking to improve their lives.

• Lack of education makes it difficult for them to open their minds to new possibilities. It also leads them to follow traditional concepts and practices even when they do little to improve the quality of their lives. The campaigns taken to improve scopes of education in rural areas focus on preaching the importance of education as well as bring them enhanced infrastructure to create an environment of learning.

Save wildlife

• Wildlife is one of the most important natural heritage of our country. However, there are a number of factors that are making it difficult for wild animals in India to survive. These include illegal poaching, reduced forest area, the absence of food, environmental pollution and a host of other factors.

• Many animals have even been marked as critically endangered in India. In order for these animals to survive, it is necessary to take special steps so that they can live their lives as nature intended. Preserving wildlife and forest environments require significant investment for which they often require donations from generous individuals.

Child labor

• Child labor is a pressing concern in India wherein children from poor families are sent to work and earn money for their families when they should be going to school and devote their time to learning. While it is true that many families in India live below the poverty line, they should still try and send their kids to school as it ensures a better life for them.

• However, there is a strong demand for child labor in India since such labor comes at a cheap price. People who hire children for labor know that they can make them do long hours of work without paying them sufficiently. This works as a vicious circle of oppression for the children. The social groups working to end child labor focus on making sure that children have education and a proper childhood that they truly deserve.

Natural calamities

• Natural calamities are serious issues that often impact the lives of thousands of men and women. Earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, excessive rain, drought, and avalanches can kill many people and ruin the lives of the survivors. In such cases, the surviving men and women need food, medicines, as well as other ammunition that can help them to live and thrive.

Sanitation

• Sanitation is an important part of our health and daily life. However, a large part of our country lacks proper sanitation systems. The absence of proper toilets in rural areas often leads people to defecate in the open. To ensure effective sanitation means are available to all men and women in this country, adequate investment in this field is necessary which can only be achieved with donations from various segments of people.

• The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan campaign as taken by the Modi Government has made some notable developments in this field.

Infrastructure development

• The development of infrastructure is crucial to improving the lives of men and women. This includes supplying water and electricity in many areas, developing roadways and bridges, installing street lights and arranging for communication systems. Such efforts require major investments that can come through donations and government funding.

Medical causes

• Health is a major area that always needs a substantial investment for research and development. In many cases, campaigns are organized to treat different types of critical health disorders such as thalassemia, malaria, dengue, and AIDS.

• Apart from offering medical supplies, medicines and other support to treat these conditions, medical campaigns also focus on educating the population about these health disorders and what can be done to prevent them. Special campaigns are carried out for children who have developmental disorders such as the autism spectrum disorders.

Why social causes need money?

• Social causes mostly focus on resolving critical problem areas that impact the lives of hundreds and thousands of people. In many cases, they require major campaigning for providing people with different forms of aides. Such efforts invariably require a lot of financial investment.

• While local governments, nonprofit organizations and social welfare groups do their bit to improve the lives of the people concerned, they often need more money and resources to do their work. Due to this reason, such social welfare campaigns almost always seek donations to improve the lives of the people that they are working with.

Famous personalities donating to social causes in news

Numerous personalities in Bollywood regularly do their bit for various social and charitable causes. Here are some famous personalities who have been in news for donating to social causes.

Shah Rukh Khan − Everyone loves Shah Rukh Khan because of his great vivacious antics. However, he also has a great heart and he proved that time and again by donating his money to various charitable foundations and campaigns. He is a member of the Board of Director of Make A Wish Foundation, a group that works to cater to the wishes and desires of children having fatal diseases. Recently, he and his Dilwale movie production team donated a sum of Rs. 1 crore to victims of the Chennai flood.

Salman Khan − Salman Khan is the founder of Being Human foundation that has helped the society in numerous ways. The actor regularly offers support for three schools. He has also financially helped to carry out heart surgeries for more than 600 kids.

Sonam Kapoor − Sonam Kapoor is one of the youngest celebs in Bollywood and she is also a leading fashion icon. She has also used her fashion sense to donate to a social cause. Sonam Kapoor collaborated with Pop-up shop created by designer Pernia Qureshi and donated several outfits from her stylish wardrobe. All the proceeds from the outfits went to the Smile Foundation, the NGO group that helps the underprivileged children in twenty-five states all over India.

Akshay Kumar − Akshay Kumar has long been known for his charitable spirit. He donated a sum of Rs. 90 lakhs for supporting the drought-hit farmers of Maharashtra. Moreover, he has always been very modest about his charitable pursuits.

Aamir Khan − Aamir Khan has always been known to offer charity and help to those in need without flaunting it. He donated Rs. 25 lakhs to Uttarakhand flood victims in 2013 and also encouraged others to come forward and help in every way they can. He also contributed Rs. 11 lakh for the rural water conservation campaign created by Devendra Fadnavis. Aamir Khan is also a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and is already ready to help those in need of support.

Why should people donate?

There are many reasons as to why one should consider donating their money to charities. One of the main reasons is that it allows a person to give back to society after God and fortune have been kind enough to shower a man or woman with financial success. By donating money to those in need, a person can contribute in his or her own way to the betterment of the community. Offering charity to those in need is also a good way to set an example for children, family members, co-workers, and friends.

From the very beginning, India had a long tradition of charity and charitable donations. It has been preached in numerous relations that offering charitable donations to those in need is a great way of serving God’s purpose since it helps to bring happiness to mankind. Since taking care of others and sharing the love with one another have always been valued highly in Indian culture, donating money to the needy has always been regarded as one of the best ways to serve God.

Nowadays people are donating for publicity

However, even though the main goal of charitable donations has always been a good one, in recent times' many people tend to donate for their own vanity and publicity. Many people tend to feed the poor and offer their money to the needy only to show their wealth and prove that they can do what they do.

This is in no way good for the betterment of the spirit and soul. While publicity and PR are some of the considerations of modern life, one should always try and donate with a pure heart and mind. This can have a holistic impact on a person’s inner well being as he or she can feel closer to God. It is not only important to make donations but one should also take note of the fact that the intent behind such donations should always be pure.

Conclusion

Donations should improve the lives of people and ensure well being and happiness for them. Only then we can say that the donations have served their purpose. It is with such an aim that people should always come forward to donate money for those who are in utter need of such support.

Since hundreds and thousands of people in India are in need of valuable donations, it always helps if people will donate their money to the good and benefit of the community. The donations made to the community should actually serve the purpose for which it is meant and make a difference in people’s lives.