When we adapt the art of listening

My mission is to nurture a firm culture of philanthropy in society enabling the individuals to realize their potential to make a positive impact on different communities. This year, the objective is to work even more effectively in the field by building connections and collaborating with various NGOs and CSOs.

Listen and learn

Philanthropy is not something that has just been discovered. It has always been there and there have been people who have worked relentlessly to help people from whatever possible means and have contributed to society in many ways. Leaders like Azim Premji, Ratan Tata Ji, Sudha Murthy Ji, and many others from different fields have come in support of various means to serve the society.

However, I feel that right now in the field, the most important thing that seems to be missing is to listen, learn and interact from those in need. Understanding the emotions of people to have a deeper connection is key to making you and your thoughts function better.

For instance, identifying the root causes and advocating for the necessary changes helps marginalized groups benefit in the long term and in this journey grass-root philanthropy plays a key role in the overall process.

Grass-roots philanthropy is essential

We see developments in different communities every now and then in multiple ways. There is an approach that works on a more intimate scale, unlike traditional charity work. We call it ‘grass-roots philanthropy’ that does not involve bigger institutions and engages people or smaller groups within the communities directly impacted by the challenges they seek to solve.

This grass-roots approach, in my opinion, ensures a more thorough understanding of local needs. You can deliver the relevant solutions to people through collaboration, which eventually promotes greater inclusivity. Now, there are some ways to engage with the community and work more effectively; I am sharing a few here.

• Community-based institutions, often known as CBO's in the development space, can assist you in integrating the community on a shared platform and instilling a sense of ownership and belonging.
• Building capacity by empowering yourself with different social tools, techniques, and inclusion in various government convergence programmes to address their issues.
• Collaborating with grassroots development sector agencies that understand the fundamental needs and foster trust-building with rural masses and communities on a larger scale. In case you missed my visit to Nasik, do check out my post to learn more.In case you missed my visit to Nasik, do check out my post to learn more.

Feedback

When it comes to determining your impact, feedback plays a very important role. Any philanthropist has the duty to actively seek input from all parties concerned. It aids in your understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of your projects or plans. Additionally, this builds trust among organizations, the public, and communities. For someone who aspires to serve, this will let them know if their values and tasks are well aligned with their aspirations.

In the end, I want to say that I am excited to be sharing my thoughts and experiences in philanthropy, healthcare, work ethics, etc. every month. Finding out new ways to improve the systems and work better for society is what I aim to do with these write-ups.