The combined usage of mobile money and social media has made it very easy to set up a virtual fundraising, solicit for and make donations. Even people whom you hardly know or rarely talk to can quickly add you to a WhatsApp group with the expectation that you will make your personal contribution toward their course of concern. Your inclusion into such a group always creates pressure to give even if the issue is very remote to you. Now that mobile money services have spread across borders, relatives and friends who live abroad are not exempted from making donations to various causes back home.
Just in December, I have was invited to contribute towards a colleague’s wedding, funeral expenses of a church mate’s relative, end-year gift to residential estate workers, expenses of a schoolmate’s funeral following a grisly road accident, an uncle’s important birthday, funeral of a colleague’s mum and a celebration of a colleague who recently gave birth to a bouncing baby. And don’t forget that you have your own responsibilities such as paying house rent and childrens’ school fees.
It is important to determine what to contribute towards a certain cause and what not to. Hopefully the following strategies will help us rein in on this difficult-to-control expenditure in the new year.
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First, it is good to accept that you cannot give what you do not have. So when you wish to give but you don’t have enough to give, don’t kill yourself for it. Accept and move on. Things can and will happen without your taking part.
Since resources are limited, you need to determine when to give. For example, you could skip contributing toward wedding expenses because you will need to buy a gift for the couple when the wedding finally happens.
Certainly, when considering whom to give to, family comes first, other people later. But some friends stick closer than a sister, so you may want to prioritise them highly.
Consider having a monthly budget for contributions so that when that budget is exceeded, it will be easy to say no to any more requests. This will help you create some discipline around your giving.
This calls for you to note down all the contributions you make in the month so that it will be easy to track your giving expenditure.
In addition, you can set a standard amount to give toward a certain type of need. For example, you could decide to give no more than Sh1,000 toward burials and Sh2,000 towards weddings.
Joining welfare groups in your social circles is a great idea. They allow members to regularly contribute small amounts of money which can be used to take care of occasional needs and emergencies that arise within the membership, thereby taking off the pressure from members to individually contribute large sums of money at a go.
To avoid the urge of giving more than you plan to, wait to give towards the deadline of any fundraising. Many fundraising drives begin with participants giving large amounts and end with people giving smaller amounts.
Remember it is not a crime to miss the deadline of a fundraising drive. You can give way after the deadline. Most recipients will be overjoyed to receive such late contributions.
When you can, consider giving as a team, family or group, not as an individual. This way you can give only a small individual amount, to make for a large contribution, saving you money in the end. Lastly, be a bit selfish. Contrary to what most religious books advocate, give to people whom you know can give back to you when you are in need.
Mr Mkala is an Information Technology professional
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By Mkala Ngolo