How To Raise A Generous Kid

How do you raise empathetic children? It's something any mother wants. And it is something that has come up here before. If you're like me, you find yourself wondering how to instill values of generosity and empathy, especially when our kids, for the most part (and knock on wood), will never know "want."

Along those lines, A., a reader, forwarded me this post from her blog, the South Asian Philanthropy project, addressing this exact issue.

Great tips for something well worth keeping in the backdrop of our minds all the time. Do you have ways in which you are consciously raising generous, charitable children? Please share!

April is Autism Awareness Month

All April Fools jokes aside--there is something serious and close to any parent's heart that begins today: Autism Awareness Month. Many readers of this blog have children under 5 so you, like me, must have noticed how autism is in the news more and more these days. It's not just your imagination: The prevalence of autism has increased tenfold in the last decade. Autism spectrum disorders are diagnosed in 1 out of 150 kids in the U.S. For reasons that are still unknown, these disorders affect four times as many boys as girls. Clearly indicating the severity of the situation: The Center for Disease Control recently declared autism a "national public health crisis" whose cause and cure remain "unknown."

Anybody who reads anything--from the Times to Us Magazine--knows the controversy the mere uttering of the word "autism" can catalyze. From Jenny McCarthy claiming she has "cured" her son's autism, to debate about the propriety of vaccinations, to the hushed tones about over-diagnoses as a sort of "catch-all"--the topic is rife with hullabalo and polemic. But more information is never a bad thing, right? And more information takes more research; which requires more public money; which requires more awareness.

Want to learn more? Tomorrow happens to be World Autism Awareness Day. Find out more here. Want to support with a little bit of retail therapy? Check out the ever-growing list of stores that have pledged support to the cause, and also take a look at this Judith Ripka pendant which benefits Autism Speaks (the nation's largest autism science and advocacy organization). Want to be more involved, plan a fundraiser, or attend a fundraiser? See here for more information.

The logo for Autism Speaks is a puzzle piece. The disorder truly is still a puzzle and if you don't know somebody yet who has autism, the odds are good that you will sometime soon. Autism is a mystery we can begin solving in our lifetimes. Anything you can do helps.

I-MAK and InSPIRE

By mere virtue of the fact that I write this blog, I get to hear about really amazing programs and initiatives. Here are two that are truly inspirational--hope you will get involved:

I-MAK

Featured in this month's India Currents, I-MAK--Initiatives for Medicine, Access and Knowledge--works to provide health care and medicine to the poor, in the face of pharmaceutical monopolies and weak patent systems. The brainchild of Priti Radhakrishnan and her husband, Tahir Amin, I-MAK's focus is two-fold. On the one hand, the organization gives a voice to the poor by highlighting the fact that effective drugs are made inaccessible to whole swaths of the population; and enfranchising these segments of the population within the courts.

In a more institutional vein, I-MAK looks for high-priced, effective drugs that could be made more widely accessible by coming into the generic market, and it examines the patents companies have on such drugs with the goal of poking holes in frivolous patents and dismantling patent monopolies. I-MAK understands that innovation is important in the field of medicine--as such, while its main goal is increased accessibiltiy, I-MAK's team of attorneys and scientists work with governments, researches, procurers, and supliers to strengthen patent systems and encourage innovation while challenging non-meritorious patents that drive up costs.

I-MAK focues on developed nations and developing nations alike--there are issues to be addressed in both. One staggering statistic: According to the World Health Organization, 10 million lives could be saved each year if access to medicines and medical care were improved.

I-MAK is the sort of non-profit that everyone claims to want to find and be a part of: One with a sound structural mission that accompanies its broad idealism. Learn more at the I-MAK website.

InSPIRE
InSPIRE-- India Service Program Inspiring Reflective Exploration--offers opportunities for South Asian Americans to explore, understand, and serve India. With the core belief that travel shoud be inspiring and enriching, InSPIRE looks to strengthen ties between participants and India, while simultaneously promoting service-based tourism. The experiences that these programs afford are vast--recent groups have witnessed and taken part in a sanitation rally in a Gujarati village; the building of proper sanitation in Indian slums; outreach to residents of half-destroyed settlements on the banks of the Narmada River in Madhya Pradesh; a meeting of a people’s movement that advocates for tribal rights; a heated debate on development with Delhi youth at the beautiful Lodhi Gardens. To name a few.

InSPIRE currently has three programs: One for college students, one for young professionals, and one for families. This year's trips for young professionals center around visiting NGO's in the fields of water and micro-finance. In a new move, InSPIRE is testing a "pay what it's worth" technique this year with the "young professional" program; instead of charging participants, InSpire provides a detailed break-down of what it costs to run the program, and it asks participants to decide how much to give.

So many of us talk about ways to show our children "where they came from"; so many of us wax profound about working in India "one day." Here's our chance. And, because the family program is a 2 week journey, it can be worked in around school schedules, ballet lessons, work schedules...and all sorts of other logistics that often serve as stumbling blocks to doing what we want to do.

Learn more here and here--there is still room for the trips that are planned for this summer. Applications for the young professional and family programs are due March 30.

There's Still Time To Make a Difference

DwB reader Shirin let me know that one of the charities we profiled a few weeks back--"Adopt-A-Family by Brighter Beginnings"--is in desperate need for donations before Christmas. Some of the families who promised to provide books and toys as presents to kids have dropped out at the last minute. There's still time for you to make a huge difference in a kid's life this holiday season just by donating some of the baby parapheneila you have lying around your house. More information below, and you can call Jody at 510-903-7533:

Adopt-A-Family by Brighter Beginnings
Brighter Beginnings is a United Way organization that provides resources and help for young children and their families in need. This rewarding charity program couldn’t be simpler, and it’s a little like becoming Santa Claus.


First, pick a family or individual online by reading about them. (For example, “Doria is a single mom of 2 boys, ages 6 months and 2 years. She comes from a broken home and grew up primarily in foster care. She is currently living in shared housing because she cannot afford her own place. She recently gave birth to a son and is unable to work due to health problems.”) You’ll see their wishlist, which often involves things like diapers, warm clothing, formula and toys. It’s up to you how much or how little you’d like to give.

Buy the items, or give unused items from your kid’s closet, and drop them off at a location near you. My friend who did this last year received a sweet letter from the family she had adopted expressing their appreciation. It’s a personal way of giving, you know that your entire gift will go straight to the person in need, and you can even involve your kids in it.

How, and Where, to Give Wisely this Season

A friend emailed me the other day on the topic of Indians and charity. She said she has the sense that Indians give a lower percentage of their incomes to charity than other communities. We are one of the wealthiest communities in the U.S.; does that translate to us being one of the most generous? I don’t think there are any official numbers available on this, but I sadly have the feeling it's not the case.

Of course, in this economic climate, it’s not easy for a lot of people to give when they see pink slips, housing prices tanks, and the cost of just about everything get higher. (Except gas! I just paid less than two dollars per gallon, woah.)

But as countries around the world cut down on charitable donations and programs, it’s even more crucial to give to them. And it’s important to remember that, while we are feeling the pinch on our wallets, the poor around the world are feeling it even harder. When poor communities stop receiving aid, people in them die.

But whom to give to, and how do you know your donations are going to those in need -- especially when they're being used in far-away countries? Here's what I found out.

Charity Navigator is a great website that evaluates charities based on their efficiency. If you have a favorite charity, type the name in and see how financially effective it is. The website also has a few basic tips for charity-giving this season:

--> The most efficient charities spend at least 75% of their budgets on programs and services, with the remaining 25% or less spent on administrative and fundraising costs. They also don’t excessively compensate their CEOs.

--> Consumers that buy directly from their favorite, well-run charities, rather than purchasing cause-related products from retailers, make the biggest philanthropic impact.

--> Give to charities that help the less fortunate. Charities like food banks, rescue missions and utility assistance charities need an influx of contributions this holiday season.

With these tips in mind, here are a few charities that are worth giving to this season. We’re focusing on charities that help children, but this list is by no means comprehensive.In fact, if you have a favorite charity or cause that you give to, please tell us and our readers!

Adopt-A-Family by Brighter Beginnings
Brighter Beginnings is a United Way organization that provides resources and help for young children and their families in need. This rewarding charity program couldn’t be simpler, and it’s a little like becoming Santa Claus.


First, pick a family or individual online by reading about them. (For example, “Doria is a single mom of 2 boys, ages 6 months and 2 years. She comes from a broken home and grew up primarily in foster care. She is currently living in shared housing because she cannot afford her own place. She recently gave birth to a son and is unable to work due to health problems.”) You’ll see their wishlist, which often involves things like diapers, warm clothing, formula and toys. It’s up to you how much or how little you’d like to give.

Buy the items, or give unused items from your kid’s closet, and drop them off at a location near you. My friend who did this last year received a sweet letter from the family she had adopted expressing their appreciation. It’s a personal way of giving, you know that your entire gift will go straight to the person in need, and you can even involve your kids in it.

Kids for a Better Future
Every year at this time, instead of accepting gifts for his birthday, my nephew Akash asks for donations to his organization. Kids for a Better Future has funded organizations that helped build a girls’ school in Herat, Afghanistan, and that helped provide education, health care, and shelter to former child soldiers in the Congo.

This year, Akash is going to India to support the Sambhavna Trust Clinic in Bhopal, which helps treat victims of Union Carbide gas disaster, the worst industrial accident in history. He’s also received a challenge grant from The Unemployed Philosophers Guild that will double any contributions he gets from people who have not contributed to his birthday appeal before. I have worked at the Sambhavna Clinic before, and can attest to the important work they do in a community that cannot afford the care that the local hospitals give. 100% of all proceeds Akash raises will go to the clinic.

Asha for Education
A whopping 98.7% of Asha’s expenses go directly to its programs, making it one of the most efficient large charities out there. Asha provides education to the underprivileged children of America. Anyone who’s visited India, or even just watched the amazing, recently released movie Slumdog Millionaire (if you haven't seen this movie, go see it ASAP), knows how dire the needs of these children are. Asha has chapters throughout the world, and programs which make it easy to get involved if you have more time than money. Asha also has a great opportunity you can involve your child in: the Support a Child program, which allows you to support a single child in India for as little as $10 a month. You can receive progress reports, write to and receive letters from to the child, and even arrange to visit the child in India. How great is that?

Oxfam’s Health & Education Campaign
Among its many campaigns, Oxfam helps provide healthcare to underprivileged pregnant women throughout the world. That’s something to dance around about. In fact, check out the video below to actually see pregnant women dancing about it! (Don’t worry, the breakdancers are not actually pregnant….)



Let us know your favorite charity or cause this season!