Why Giving Matters

Giving matters! Consider for a moment the reasons why you give. What motivates you? Do you usually make a donation because someone you know or value asks you? Do you volunteer your time or offer your help because you want to give back to the community and do your share? Do you give because some illness afflicted you or someone you love, and you now feel it's necessary to support that cause? Or, is it possible that you give because you have tapped into a deeper understanding of how to lead a more fulfilling and purposeful life?

When we give because others ask us, our giving is a tribute to those who work hard and do the asking. However, when we give because we ask it of ourselves and open our own hearts, the act of giving changes our lives. In this book, we call this type of giving "inspired giving."

There are many ways to define the essence of giving. No one way is right or wrong, but inspired giving ultimately benefits both the giver and receiver and has powerful consequences for everyone involved. Inspired and purposeful giving also addresses the roots of a problem and seeks to better address its prevention rather than just its symptoms.

Understanding why giving matters in a spiritual way is one goal of this book. Examining why giving is life's greatest joy and why acts of compassion are crucial to our existence is the other. We do not want to oversimplify the act of giving. Instead, we hope to introduce you to the reasons people give on a deeper level and focus on the reasons that matter most.

As we wrote this book, what fascinated us most was the depth at which some people find themselves compelled to live a more purposeful life through giving. It amazed us that those individuals who had very little and were closest to a malady or potential problem in some cases gave more than those who had the resources or time as well as the money but not the connection.

Many of us are silently appointed in life to give back because life deals us a challenge or an unfair break. How we deal with that incident, be it an illness or a tragedy, defines us on a higher level. These are the people who show us what it means to be courageous and compassionate. We recall the young mother who lost her child to a car accident and became involved in Mothers Against Drunk Drivers. We remember the businessman who was raised on the streets and returned to his roots to make life better for those people who are now in his same shoes. Or, how about the woman who feeds the hungry and devotes herself to that cause because she once knew a life of hunger?

Their courage and grace under fire inspires us. An illness or tragedy can shake up our spirit and motivate us to help others who suffer in a similar way. However, many individuals receive this call without a tragedy or motivating experience and respond because it's the right thing to do.

It's not just important to determine why giving matters, since we all know that it's good to give. What really counts is, how do you define your personal relationship with giving? What type of giving lights a fire in you so deep that it finds its way to brighten someone else's life? And lastly, what type of giving touches you in such a profound manner that in those simple acts of doing for someone else you discover that the light has ultimately brightened your own life in return? The star quality in this chapter makes us proud they are living a life of giving and know that all of us can emulate them with our own passion for giving.

HELP PEOPLE LIVE THEIR BEST LIVES

Caren Yanis, Executive Director, Oprah Winfrey Foundations

OprahsAngelNetwork.org — OAmbassadors.org

"For as long as I have a voice in this world," says Oprah Winfrey, "my promise to children who have no voice is that they will be seen, they will be heard — because they matter." Creator of two foundations and a public charity, Oprah is one of the most visible and admired givers in the world.

The Oprah Winfrey Foundation is her private foundation, and The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy Foundation operates the Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa. Her public charity — Oprah's Angel Network — gives her audience the opportunity to share in her enormous vision and profound ability to change lives. To help people live their best lives, Oprah's Angel Network uses donations to award grants to not-for-profit organizations around the world that are improving access to education, developing leaders, protecting basic rights and creating communities of support. Through personal and corporate donations to the Angel Network and her foundations, millions of caring people all over the world join with Oprah in this life-changing work. The beneficiaries are many. Hundreds of children enjoy the beautiful new Boys & Girls Club in Kosciusko, Mississippi (Oprah's hometown). Thousands of families throughout the Gulf Coast are benefiting from new homes and community improvement projects. Countless children around the world, from South Africa to Afghanistan to Ecuador, now have the chance to learn, thanks to schools funded through the Angel Network and the foundations. Recently, O Ambassadors launched. A joint project of Oprah's Angel Network and Free the Children, O Ambassadors is a leadership program that inspires young people to be active, compassionate, and knowledgeable global citizens.

Caren Yanis began her association with Oprah in 2000 shortly after The Oprah Winfrey Show's Angel Network segment evolved into a public charity. Prior to that, Caren worked with major magazines on social service projects and promotions. She is a dedicated volunteer who sits on a number of boards.

Every one of us gets through the tough times because somebody is there, standing in the gap to close it for us.

— OPRAH WINFREY

Watching Oprah Winfrey in action has been a life-changing experience. Oprah has an enormous giving heart and boundless empathy for people who have potential. For her, it's all about providing opportunities to help people lift themselves up. One of my favorite quotes is by Lawrence Kushner who says, "Entrances to holiness are everywhere." To me, that means going through life looking for doors that — if we go through them — could change a life or change our own lives. That's really Oprah's message — be ready to walk through that door, experience it fully, and give back however you can.

We've been working on projects in Africa for a number of years; in 2002, our ChristmasKindness initiative brought joy to kids in sixty-three schools in two provinces. They enjoyed a beautiful lunch...