GivingBoard.org

Giving is one of life's sweetest pleasures, as an unknown author once said, 'give and forget, receive and remember,' many of us have made charity donations as a matter of course and thought no more of it but to the recipients it can be life saving. The next time a charity donation box is waved under your nose, spare a thought for those about to receive and give thanks that it's not you in need. Those few coins, so carelessly given, are received with heartfelt thanks giving a huge lift to some unknown person's life.

Christian charities have for years sent missionaries and aid workers to far flung corners of the earth giving help and education in return for the right to teach Christian values. Catholic charities in particular have operated this way for many years in the hope that by giving aid and religious instruction, the uneducated would embrace the Catholic faith. All these Christian charities rely on charity donations from both wealthy benefactors and the general public, funds being raised by voluntary donation as well as myriad fund raising events.

To a few selfless people philanthropy can be a way of life, time and time again there have been instances among wealthy families that one person decides to reject a life of ease and dedicate themselves to giving to others. Perhaps this is nature's (or God's) way of taking from the rich and giving to the poor; sometimes this is done via a Christian charity other times it's carried out by watching for opportunities to make donations privately, quietly and often anonymously. Whichever form it takes it is philanthropy either way.

Surprisingly some people practicing philanthropy find great difficulty in giving to the most deserving, a charity donation given to one organization, for instance a Catholic charity, will often lead to requests from all sorts of other religions. You're giving to Catholic charities so why not us as well? Seems to be the general rule and for this reason many philanthropists giving a charity donation to their particular favourite will often ask that their philanthropy is kept secret.

If you have a giving nature or would like to discuss the issue of philanthropy or are searching for a suitable cause; then log on to our forum and express your views on giving, we'd love to hear your views and to create a forum for like minded people who believe in philanthropy irrespective of whether it's a 'widows mite' or a little larger.