Investing Time in People (a meeting!)
NOTE: If you are going to be in San Francisco on June 11th and you are interested in discussing these topics further, join us! (Scroll to the bottom!)
INVESTING TIME IN PEOPLE is the thing I think is missing from a lot of our development/philanthropy/voluntourism and overall GIVING plans. We can always make more money. We can’t make more time. So making time FOR people is one of the most precious gifts we can give.
When I say investing time in people I mean:
- capacity building
- making connections
- expanding capabilities
- fostering skill building
- sharing ideas
- offering trainings
- coaching
- INSPIRING
THOSE are the things that make people succeed in reaching their goals. THOSE are the things that change attitudes and actions. And at the end of the day, attitudes and actions are what we are trying to change, right? When it comes to changing people’s purchasing habits to protect the earth (stopping the use of plastic water bottles) or encouraging people in a rural area to purchase mosquito nets or water filters, long-term positive behavior changes don’t come from giving things or money away. They come from investing in people’s knowledge and capabilities so that they can go out and make more informed choices on their own.
I made a short 1 minute video about my thoughts on this:
A group of us are trying to get people together in San Francisco on June 11th who want to discuss these ideas further.
Here is a slideshare about this (yes, same background slides as my last slideshare – thanks @jenrikay – I was lazy and used them again!):
Drop me a note on this blog if you want to join us on the 11th or future iterations of this group’s actions!