If I am not for myself， who will be for me？ If I am not for others， what am I？ And if not now， when？—Rabbi Hillel
I’m just one person， I can’t possibly make a difference in the world. Big companies only care about profits， not about giving back. There are too many problems， we can’t tackle them all. Right？ Um…actually， no. Everyone can play a part， and in this month’s issue we look at different ways to bring about change regardless of who you are and where you are from.
First up， Making a Difference chronicles the life of a volunteer who has stared into the face of darkness—war， famine， poverty—but stood his ground and found joy in helping others. The growth he underwent through this process transformed him into a completely different person.
But it’s not only individuals who are pitching in. In Google’s Guru of Giving， one of the world’s biggest companies sheds light on its efforts to spread the love. As a highly profitable corporation， Google acknowledges their social responsibility to pursue philanthropy and combat the planet’s most imminent problems. And Google is not alone in adopting a for-profit/non-profit business structure. In fact， in this new age， combining profit and charity seems to be the way to go. The changes of philanthropy， the new philanthropist and what the future holds are explored further in Wealth and Philanthropy： The Birth of Philanthrocapitalism.
While it’s okay for some， for others， giving up cash is just not possible； let’s face it， we are not all Bill Gates. But that shouldn’t hold us back from contributing our time. Volunteering to help the homeless or the elderly or simply donating goods； the possibilities for giving back are endless， but different for everyone. Deciding what is right for you is discussed in Your Money or Your Time？