The importance of giving back to the community

Martin Vella Here is an important life lesson: no matter how tough you think your life is there is always someone who has to face challenges that are even tougher than yours.

And it goes in many different directions. It’s not only basic things like making money, getting food, or having a place to rest at night, but also the possibility of taking part in some entrepreneurial projects or getting proper education.

For most people – here in Malta and around the world – these things are much less challenging. With the internet at hand, we can take part in almost any project imaginable, compile a team of people of different professions and talents, and start immediately. We can get a coffee at Starbucks, or a steak at the nearest steakhouse, and so on. But what would you do without electricity or a place to buy clothes, not to mention getting a computer with internet access? And worse still, what do you do if your child happens to be diagnosed with leukaemia or suffering from cancer?

Giving back is among the most important and valuable things an entrepreneur can do. Full stop.

And I am not talking about giving back in terms of ‘offering a cheap product’, or ‘doing something for nothing in exchange for advertising space.’ That isn’t giving something back, it is simply business. Neither am I referring to recycling ‘dirty’ money or ‘murky’ crypto-currency to concoct a half-baked muddy fundraising scheme and pose as an ambassador for charity, then reaping personal rewards and favourites.

Giving back is where you give, and then nothing happens. No benefits for you, no recognition, nothing tangible gets sent your way. Your biggest and sole reward is the realisation that you have made a significant change to someone’s life – and if not ‘significant’, then a positive change nevertheless.

This article is not designed to help you make your business grow, but it will help you grow as a human being and make a lot of other people happy if you decide to take action on the advice here.

When you make it possible for you and your friends to help others live a better life and even start their own entrepreneurial projects, then you have contributed to improving the lifestyle of other people who cannot afford to avail themselves of basic healthcare needs or therapy, as well as improving society in general. Helping or contributing to charity institutions, cancer foundations such as Puttinu Cares or to the Malta Community Chest Fund is one way to begin making profound changes to help the most vulnerable and can be the first step in giving back. And it may be the most fulfilling and gratifying experience business people can do in their daily life.

The rules are simple, as with every charity. You start by selecting a project you want to help, decide on the amount you want to send, then either collect or donate your money – and that’s basically it.

No matter what amount of money you end up donating, you get the full transparency and feedback you deserve. You know where your money is going to and what the result of the project you have decided to help is. MBR Publications Ltd has always been at the forefront of donating or organising fund-raising activities during its main events, such as the prestigious gala award events for which it has become synonymous for over eight years now. Believe me, it may change a person’s life when he or she realises the power of giving back, how satisfying and rewarding this can be and what difference it brings to one’s personal life.

This is where my personal experience ends. I’m only the managing director of a small, dynamic business enterprise. But there are a lot more places where you can go to help people and I really encourage you to do so, especially if you are a business entrepreneur. As part of our active CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility), successful small businesses need the support of their local communities. By learning to make the most of this local advantage, an entrepreneur can compete with even the largest companies in the same industry. Because an SME’s success is often so closely tied to the local community, it is important to also remain an active participant. As a busy small business owner, however, it can be challenging to squeeze another minute into your hectic day.

Whether you donate money or time, giving back is beneficial – and not just for the recipients. Research has shown that the old adage “It is better to give than to receive” is true after all.

A Gallup survey on volunteering in the USA found that 52 per cent of volunteers do it because they like doing something useful and helping others. Another 38 per cent said they enjoy doing volunteer work and feeling good about themselves.

Besides feeling good about yourself for doing something for others, giving back is also good for your physical health. In a Canadian study, 85 per cent of Ontario volunteers rated their health as ‘good’, compared to 79 per cent of non-volunteers. Only two per cent of volunteers reported ‘poor health’, one-third the number of non-volunteers who reported the same health status.

It is important to make the most of every opportunity, boosting our community involvement while finding ways to motivate our employees and to network with other professionals in the community to give back a little.

That’s all I have to say in this short article on charity, fund-raising and giving back and at this point I have only one piece of advice to give you: decide now, don’t procrastinate, choose a way of giving that speaks to you the best. Start by donating a small amount of money, and discover how great it is to help others. In the end, this is what money is meant to do – improve people’s lives.

If you wish to donate to L-Istrina or any other charitable institution or foundation, or form a part of any foundation yourself and would like to help us in our contributions or fundraising, you can contact us at martin@mbrpublications.net, Mob: 9926 0162 or Tel: 2149 7814.