Abundance Thinking and SPHOORTI
Srivyal | 25 April 2008, 11:17pm
One of the biggest mistakes that many charities, especially orphanages and similar organizations do is adopting a scarcity thinking vis-a-vis abundance approach.
Most people behind charitable organizations view the Universe of Donors as fixed and imagine that they live in a world where resources are limited. There’s never enough time or money or people. Everyday is a struggle for for survival of some kind and a view of the future hardly exists.
For those who believe in abundance, the size of the Universe of Donors is not fixed, it can grow further and without any upper bound.
The goal, therefor is not to figure out how to claim your part and to hold onto it. The goal is to figure out how we can grow the Universe so that everyone can have a larger slice . These people live in a world where resources are abundant, where one can always find lot of support, the money and the people if ONLY one can think differently. They do not have to worry about for survival, sustenance etc. Their focus is on how to grow the pie to claim larger slices.
So, does this kind of thinking matter ..., it surely does.
Abundance-thinking organizations see an opportunity - be it miniscule or substantial, everywhere. While scarcity thinkers can only imagine and see barriers and problems, abundance thinkers see opportunities in challenges. Abundant thinking frees an organization from the notions of cynicism, insecurity and incremental approach towards mobilizing support.
Such thinking helps in seeing possibilities of expanding the Donor pie continuously, leading to more support from different quarters.
This has been one of the concepts that Sphoorti has been adopting from Day One and has helped us immensely. We have always held the view that the world is full of great souls waiting for an opportunity to do good and we know that the number of such people will only increase as we research and communicate. This is our 'Abundance Thinking'.
Such thinking frees our mind of all kinds of insecurity and the opportunity to concentrate on our mission - shaping lives of underprivileged children. And fortunately, in our journey, we have been meeting some really great people who are ever willing to extend material and moral support.
How then do we perpetuate this Abundance Thinking. Seth Godin, one of my most beloved writers, suggests that one of the ways we can live in abundance in any situation is by always focusing first on what we can give. Not on what we can get out of life, but what can we give back to it?
This again leads us to another core belief - the responsibility to GIVE to our friends in return to their wonderful support to SPHOORTI.
What best we can give to our donors, sponsors and all our well-wishers.
As an organization, it is our moral responsibility to be effective and efficient, transaprent and accountable to our friends. That is the least expectd anyways. But what further can we GIVE that makes us stand apart as an organization.
So, ALL our kids GIVE is UNCONDITIONAL LOVE, give a MEMORABLE experience each time our friends visit SPHOORTI and make them part of our FAMILY from the day ONE. And surely we want to GIVE them MORE love and MORE sweet memories in every visit.
And with this approach,we hope to join forces with more altruistic folks in future to make a difference to more children in need
Srivyal Vuyyuri
www.sphoorti.org
9490120168
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1. A message never said..!!
By Shaila Kasha | 26 Apr 2008, 1:06pm
Hi,
It says something which we never spent time in thinking even.It really take a great deal in doing such good things.Srivyal, i must say ur worth it. Lucky are the children who have a sweet brother like u.
Its not we get from life,but its actually what we give to life is most important.lets make it more meaningful by doing the least possible things we can and help children of spoorthi.
Regards,
Shaila
2. Re: Abundance Thinking and SPHOORTI
By Ravi | 27 Apr 2008, 1:46am
wonderful article Srivyal. I felt nice reading it. It inspires more people like me to take up challging initiatives. Thank you.