Givology - give to learn, learn to give

Givology: Blogs

• Volunteer Spotlight: Kiley Williams

  Tuesday, March 12, 2019 at 03:34:04 AM by Givology Staff

  
  
  There is a lack of doubt: Givology wouldn’t be the same Givology it is today without Kiley Williams who has been a core member of the team since the launch. In the fall of 2008, Kiley was introduced to Givology through a mutual friend he shares with co-founders Joyce Meng and Jennifer Chen. Since then, Kiley has been the powerhouse behind the technology team to deliver the best experience for our users and community.
  
  As a security architect as his day job, Kiley works with “the pre-sales and post-sales of technical client engagement,” commonly referred to as sales engineering. In Givology, he employs similar skillsets when mending the Givology website as well as when erecting the upcoming mobile app. “It has been tough, but we have been getting some great volunteers joining in to help with making sure we get our next iteration done well. It's exciting!” he said.
  
  Kiley spent his high school years at Randolph-Macon Academy, which he described as an “academically advanced military school for high school.” He recounted his experience as a window to the reality on behalf of the academics and the social atmosphere. However, the impact that the school had on him was beyond the scholarly rigor and the communal current: “it exposed me to many different cultures, languages, and beliefs that shaped my approach to solving problems, and resolving conflicts across vastly different backgrounds,” he said. The school had emphasized the merit behind diversity, a message that Kiley took to heart. Such experiences ingrained the goal in his mind to work towards assisting more people towards success.
  
  Kiley accredited the establishment of such resolution to his parents as well: “They believed that no matter where you were, as long as you were safe and were able to get a good education, then you could be successful in your endeavors,” he said.
  
  As a result of such aspiration, Kiley volunteers for Givology: he believes that Givology is the gateway to proper education to many students. “We are enabling people all around the world to make a difference in the lives of students and teachers who they may never otherwise be able to help,” he noted.
  
  Currently, Kiley is focusing on the launch of the mobile application of Givology in June. While rewarding, he points out that there are challenges as a result of the outdated platform that supports the current technical architecture. “Since it was originally built in 2008, we have had to go back and completely refactor the way that the underlying data layer works,” he said. However, nonetheless, he is counting days until the launch gleefully. “This is a significant challenge to any normal business organization, so being able to get to this point with all volunteer labor is very rewarding, and excites me,” he said.
  
• Volunteer Spotlight: Avani Fachon

  Friday, March 8, 2019 at 04:41:04 AM by Givology Staff

  [img]/images/user/1842_13531407254517760362.png[/img]
  Avani Fachon’s conviction in the importance of education started at a young age. Growing up in Boulder, Colorado, her parents instilled in her several of her beliefs, many of which are centered around the value of education. Avani believes her own education has played an invaluable role in shaping who she is today, developing her interests, passions, and personal worldview. “Education has taught me how to form original opinions and interpret the world around me through my own personal lens,” she said. These strong beliefs have led Avani to focus on Givology and the issue of accessible education.
  
  Currently a sophomore studying Biology at Bard College, Avani is an indispensible Givologist and is the Social Media Director / Chief Marketing Officer at Givology. She began her journey with Givology in August 2016 as a Development Intern, in search of an internship for a nonprofit. “I really admired Givology’s mission, vision, and impact, and knew that I wanted to be a part of the organization,” she said. She was particularly interested in Givology’s aspect in that it works with specific organizations on a global scale, each prepared and able to solve issues within communities at a grassroots level.
  
  As Social Media Director, Avani organizes Givology’s daily content and runs two of the nonprofit’s social media channels. She states that Social Media grants her the ability to share powerful stories and content about Givology’s impact on students and schools worldwide. “I love the creativity and storytelling that is involved in content creation; I believe that stories have power to create connection and social change,” she said. Social Media is a key component in building awareness in Givology’s mission, and Avani has done a tremendous job as team leader.
  
  Among many projects Avani has worked on in her years with Givology, one of her favorites was “Green Apple Giving”. In this 2018 campaign, Givology donated 25 cents every time the green apple emoji was used alongside the hashtag #greenapplegiving. She commented on the uniqueness of this campaign, and how she really enjoyed organizing and observing this event.
  
  Avani believes that access to quality education is essential to the empowerment of individuals, the advancement of communities, and the alleviation of poverty. “I am so glad that I am able to contribute to the creation of accessible education through Givology,” she said. Avani strongly resonates with a quote from Irish poet W. B. Yeats: “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.”
  
• Volunteer Spotlight: Vandana Subramanian

  Wednesday, February 27, 2019 at 06:32:01 PM by Givology Staff

  
  
  Vandana Subramanian, a computer science major at Carnegie Mellon University, balances multiple roles as a core member of the Givology volunteer team. As the Chief Development Officer (CDO) and podcast interviewer for the Givology Impact Series, Vandana can be found working anywhere from coordinating recruitment and the onboarding process to featuring education leaders around the world in podcasts.
  
  A native to Northern Virginia/ DC area, Vandana was able to take advantage of the ample diversity of the educationational opportunities while growing up. In particular, she pointed out the heavy influence that her parents and teachers had on her-- “especially in cultivating my love for learning,” she said. As a result, she developed a strong conviction towards quality education for all, the motivation behind her devotion towards Givology.
  
  Vandana’s involvement with Givology started as an intern on the tech team. “It gave me a hands-on opportunity to learn about how a non-profit functions,” she said. Her continued dedication since then led her to the role of CDO she is today.
  
  In addition, Vandana has interviewed speakers for the Givology Impact Series podcasts, featuring international changemakers in education. Vandana ascribed the podcasts as a mechanism for interested organizations to acquaint with the core mission of Givology through listening to inspiring speakers who are helping their communities and measuring their results. She learns much about her interviewees through the podcasts: “It’s also nice way to see how organizations use impact evaluation to assess the efficacy of the work and maximize impact per dollar donated,” she said.
  
  Vandana attributes Givology’s success to the commitment displayed within the volunteer team, an observation that influences her selection criteria when recruiting. “We’re making an effort to focus not only on recruiting great talent, but also retaining talent,” she said.
  
  Vandana described volunteering with the Givology team as a way for her to employ her expertise for a greater cause. “From the letters we receive from students we support to conversations with other nonprofit executives about how education has transformed lives and communities, it’s been a really inspiring experience,” she said.
  
  “Givology is making a difference, and that’s something I proud to be a part of,” she added.
  
• The Etymology of Words and Givology

  Sunday, February 17, 2019 at 09:56:08 PM by Givology Staff

  Learning the etymology of words allows us to recognize the complex meaning and multiple dimensions a term carries. We can discover that a word implies more than we had imagined. For this reason, this blog post reveals the etymology of words related to Givology. Learning its origin and development will allow us to better understand what Givology means and does.
  The word ‘education’ has been derived from the Latin word educare. The term e means "out of" and duco means "to lead". The term educare, thus, means "to lead out", "to draw out" and "to bring forth". The innate powers of the individual should be properly cared and given scope to develop. Each and every child has the innate powers. It should be located and proper education to be provided to develop. The first written record of the word education is found in the 1530s.
  “Given” originated from Old English giefaan, "to give, bestow, deliver to another; allot, grant; commit, devote, entrust". Giefan inturn came from Proto-Germanic geban (source also of Old Frisian jeva, Middle Dutch haven, Dutch geven, Old High German geban, German geben, Gothic giban). It became given in Middle English, but changed to "g" by influence of Old Norse gefa "to give". The fact that the fundamental meaning of this word has not changed for hundreds of years tells us about the nature and worldliness of this act. The generality of this term has allowed it to survive for this long. There are many ways to give. The recipient, the attitude, the given, and the giver can all vary. Also, because giving is an action so innate in us, a term to describe it has always been demanded.
  Philanthropy has its roots in the Greek word philanthr?pía. Composed of phil (loving) and anthr?pos (mankind), the meaning was understood as "loving mankind, useful to man". Plutarch, in the second century, used the word to describe superior people. The english derivation was, however, borrowed from the late latin philanthrophia, not the greek. During the middle ages, philanthropy was superseded by the term Caritas, modern day charity. Francis Bacon salvaged the word and modernized it in the 17th century, considering it to mean "goodness". Samuel Johnson simply defined philanthropy as "love of mankind; good nature", a more general definition that still survives today.
  The word learn has roots in in the Old English leornian: "to get knowledge, be cultivated, to study, to read, think about". Before leornian was the Proto-Germanic lisnojanan, with root word lois (furrow, track) and a base sense of "to follow or find the track". It is related to German gleis "track" and to Old English læst "sole of the foot".
  Givology in the combination of all these complex concepts and more. Like in english, the meaning of learning and education for Givology is not one dimensional. Givology's focus on learning does not only apply to the causes they aid, but also to the attitude of their giving. It is not just about giving but also about learning to give by finding the most effective philanthropic model.
  
• Happy New Year!

  Friday, January 11, 2019 at 02:45:31 PM by Givology Staff

  Happy New Year from Givology! We wish you all a wonderful 2019!
  
  At the start of every year, our team defines our resolutions. Each of us shares a personal goal related to the work that we do individually, as well as a team goal that we want to collectively accomplish. As a 100% volunteer-run organization, our ability to support our students and schools depends on the passion, dedication, and creativity of our team.
  
  While personal goals ranged from creating more Givology video content and [url=https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/givology-impact-series-podcast/id1271456774?mt=2]publishing more podcasts [/url]to stepping up recruiting efforts to a broader base, the key team priority that emerged was to set up the right infrastructure for the next 10 years to come. This involves a major technology overhaul to improve our user experience on the website and to streamline the giving process. Stay tuned for further announcements of Givology 3.0!
  
  Last year, we celebrated our 10th anniversary with a spectacular gala in NYC where 100% of the net proceeds went to support the Peach Foundation, our first partner. [url=https://prezi.com/a5cuk99oycwr/givology-10-years-strong/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy]We’ve put together a presentation to highlight our milestones[/url].
  
  As always, the work we do to fundraise and build awareness & support for our grassroots partners depends on our team and community. We welcome your feedback and engagement. Whether $1 or 1 hour, we believe that the aggregation of small dollars and small hours can drive a movement of change.
  
• Impact Series Podcast: Iskren Kulev of KindLink

  Thursday, December 13, 2018 at 05:48:01 AM by Givology Staff

  [font=OpenSansRegular, arial, sans-serif][img]/images/user/1842_8587400595872401786.png[/img][/font]
  [color=#339900]“ Simply going on a computer, logging in, we need to use this browse ... might be very very natural for the young generation but for the older generation and for charities, especially charity executives, it is a change of mindset.”[/color] [url=https://ctt.ac/g7YAU]Click to Tweet[/url]
  Guest: Iskren Kulev
  Hosted By: Yejide Obisesan
  
  [b][i]Subscribe and listen more of the [/i][/b][url=https://soundcloud.com/givology][b][i]Givology Impact Series here[/i][/b][/url]
  For more [color=#339900]Givology [/color]follow us on:
  [font=OpenSansRegular, arial, sans-serif]Twitter [/font][url=https://twitter.com/Givology]@Givology[/url]
  [font=OpenSansRegular, arial, sans-serif]Instagram [/font][url=https://www.instagram.com/givology/?hl=en]@givology[/url]
  Started in 2015, [color=#339900]KindLink[/color] is a Tech4Good company dedicated to creating a transparent charity sector and helping companies manage and promote all their corporate social responsibility activities. It is platform where the donor can connect with the entire value chain of their donation and observe the payment flow, the work of the charity they donated to and connect with the final beneficiary.
  [color=#339900]Iskren Kulev[/color], CEO and Founder of KindLink, started his career with a sales/technical role in online payment at Paysafe Group and continued through to work with iZettle, one of the hottest financial tech start-ups that was recently sold to PayPal. Armed with that experience and an MBA, he moved forward to start KindLink.
  In this episode, we talk to Iskren about transparency in giving, passion for the problems, and the beauty of rule breaking.
  
  [color=#339900]H I G H L I G H T [/color]
  We support over 700 non-profit organizations globally; from Africa to US, Canada and UK. Our business clients work internationally with charities in Nepal, South Africa and Uganda. I believe this is one of our biggest accomplishments…being able to support more than 10,000 beneficiaries, changes the way we see our work. I can say that, for me, this is the most important thing about our jobs.
  [font=OpenSansRegular, arial, sans-serif][img]/images/user/1842_10156384201637123323.png[/img][/font]
  [color=#339900]S H O W - N O T E S[/color]
  -The Third Sector Lagging Behind: KindLink’s mission & closing the gap between the non-profit sector and technology. [[b]1:28[/b]]
  -The Non-Profit Toolkit: One of the many things that sets KindLink apart [[b]3:28[/b]]
  [b]-[/b]Hard sell? Not even close: How they built up their customer base and partnerships from the ground up [[b]7:53][/b]
  -“ I knew nothing”: Iskren’s pivot from financial technology and how he and his partner’s backgrounds informed their work in a new sector [[b]12:34][/b]
  [b]-[/b]700,10,000, 4100 & the BBC? : Some of the triumphs of KindLink [[b]17:32][/b]
  [b]-[/b]Money and Fear with a Lot of Passion Thrown In: How KindLink stays so agile in this sector [[b]19:26][/b]
  [b]-[/b]The Atypical Startup & Breaking the Myth of CSR: clarity of vision from day one to current projects and initiatives [[b]24:12][/b]
  -The Measures of Impact: Empowering everyone in the giving process [[b]31:34][/b]
  [b]-[/b]The Highlights and the Pain Points: The community’s response to their work [[b]34:30][/b]
  [b]-[/b]The Future of KindLink and How You Can Play a Part [[b]40:43][/b]
  [b]-[/b]The Lightning Round! [[b]44:01][/b]
  
  [color=#339900]R E F E R E N C E S [/color]
  -Check out Iskren’s book recommendation [url=https://www.amazon.com/Founders-Dilemmas-Anticipating-Foundation-Entrepreneurship/dp/0691158304]The Founder's Dilemmas: Anticipating and Avoiding the Pitfalls That Can Sink a Startup[/url] by Noam Wasserman
  -Remember that BBC News reference? Check it out! [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwNnNSxabtY]KindLink highlight[/url]
  -Explore the [url=https://www.kindlink.com/]KindLink website[/url] to learn more about their mission and [url=https://resources.kindlink.com/]resources [/url]for corporations and [url=https://www.kindlink.org/]charities[/url] alike
  
  [font=OpenSansRegular, arial, sans-serif][img]/images/user/1842_6373240109335610839.png[/img][/font]
  
• Happy Thanksgiving! (Day 1 of 10)

  Thursday, November 22, 2018 at 08:48:05 PM by Joyce Meng

  Happy Thanksgiving! As we launch our 10 days for 10 years campaign on this day of thanks, we wanted to express our deep gratitude for all your support. We’ve been able to help our students and schools around the world only because of YOU - our volunteers and our supporters.
  When we started Givology 10 years ago, our vision was to create an online giving community that would support high-impact grassroots education projects around the world. We wanted to create a movement where small dollars and small hours of volunteering can aggregate into a powerful force of change. We believed that no matter if you were a big donor or small donor, everyone deserves transparency and honesty in how funds are being used. We also believed that time is just as valuable as money - that everyone has something to give, and in that process of giving back, the self discovery and compassion that emerges inspires others to act and give.
  In looking back on the last 10 years, while we are proud that we have created a community of 50 partnerships in 30 countries, 20 chapters and over 200 volunteers, and mostly importantly, helped thousands of students through school projects and direct scholarships, we set ourselves higher goals for the next 10 years to come. We are driven because we feel the urgency of the need to act today in an increasingly less compassionate and more polarized world.
  There are so many stories from our Givology network but I will share just one - in fact, a letter written from a Peach student Huang Wen Xue who we have supported through Givology. She writes:
  [i]“The challenges that we face in life will undoubtedly stick with us, but it shouldn't be something that brings us down. I am the second girl, positive and full of sunshine. The challenges that I have faced has shaped me into who I am today.[/i]
  [i]I used to get sick a lot when I was young, and my parents had to use up a lot of money because of me. I even stayed at the hospital for two months, and even though I was only five at the time, I couldn't help thinking that my parents could have just left me on the streets. But they didn't, and for that I am very grateful. Soon after I recovered and went home to continue my education, my parents had to help my brother build a house as he was going to get married soon. But my brother got into an accident. His death put a lot of stress on my family, and as a result, my grandmother passed away too. At the time, the burial of two people cost a lot of money, so from then on, my family was in a lot of debt. [/i]
  [i]For a farmer's household like ours, sons are very important, and due to my parent's traditional ways of thinking, my younger brother was born. The financial burden grew heavier and heavier. My parents worked hard, and we worked hard on our studies. Our grandparents also helped. My sister is in high school now and I am currently in year 9. All that my parents can do is to continue to work hard. While our situation is much better today, the financial burden might get heavier in the future. But I shouldn't think about quitting school. I endured all those hardships and survived, I will not give up. [/i]
  [i]The challenges of growing up might not be something that you want to experience, but it is actually not as scary as it seems, because only in times of difficulty can we better ourselves.”[/i]
  The core belief of Givology is that every child deserves a quality education - that if we convince thousands of people to give $1 or 1 hour that we can can create a movement of change. The mission is very personal to all of us.
  Think of a teacher who transformed the way you think, the networks that you have created through your schools, and the comfort of knowing that because of your good education, even if your job doesn’t work out, you have the capability to find another one with confidence. Imagine not having this.
  More so today than ever, the work of Givology volunteers and our partner organizations becomes even more important. You may be sad or angry when you turn on the news these days. You may feel like no one cares. You may feel like nothing matters. But I am telling you that it does. We are a small organization but in you reading this today, in you volunteering and donating here today, in you sharing our message and our organization mission, we will fight for students like Huang Wen Xue one at a time. A movement starts one step at a time. One student at time.
  
  [img]/images/user/5_6587353233023739473.png[/img]
  
• 10 days of Givology

  Monday, November 19, 2018 at 02:58:09 PM by Givology Staff

  2018 marks the 10th year of Givology! Truly, the students scholarships, library and computer lab renovations, teacher training, empowerment programs, among many more education projects that we’ve done over the last 10 years wouldn’t be possible with YOU our supporters and our volunteers.
  During this holiday season and reflecting back on how education has changed our lives, we all have so much to be grateful for. Think of a teacher who transformed the way you think, the networks that you have created through your schools, and the career opportunities that opened as a result of your education. Now we have a chance to pay it forward by supporting education projects and student scholarships globally through Givology’s network of high-impact grassroots partners.
  To celebrate 10 years of Givology, we have 10 days of activities starting from Thanksgiving and spanning to December 1st. Here’s an outline of events.
  [b]November 22, 2018 (Day 1) - Day of Thanks[/b]
  Thanksgiving is a day of thanks! On social media, we’ll share stories of gratitude from our network of students, schools, chapters, and volunteers
  [b]November 23, 2018 (Day 2) - Education Facts[/b]
  What is the state of global education today? We’ll be releasing facts on the hour about the progress achieved to date, as well as the key areas that still remain unaddressed
  [b]November 24, 2018 (Day 3) - Givology Giveaways[/b]
  Our Amazon book ([url=https://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Store-Givology/s?ie=UTF8&page=1&rh=n%3A133140011%2Cp_27%3AGivology]#GiveInspiration: How to Give Effectively[/url]) is free today! Also for any donation over $20 on our site, we will send out complimentary Givology gifts, including Givology T-shirts and 100% recycled leather wallets.
  [b]November 25, 2018 (Day 4) - Volunteer Drive[/b]
  [url=https://www.givology.org/get-involved/]Pledge to volunteer with Givology! [/url]Our philosophy is that time is just as valuable as money and that small hours and small hours aggregate into a powerful force of change. On social media, we’ll also share stories from our volunteer network.
  [b]November 26, 2018 (Day 5) - #giveinspiration [/b]
  It’s our day of positivity! We’ll be sharing inspiring quotes and stories from thought leaders in education who we admire greatly. For each ‘share’ of our posts, a board member has pledged to donate 10 cents. We’ll tally the final amount and let everyone know the final amount raised!
  [b]November 27, 2018 (Day 6) - #givingtuesday and 100% matching [/b]
  Giving Tuesday was started in 2012 by the 92nd Street Y and the United Nations Foundation, and has since become a nation-wide movement. For our #givingTuesday campaign, we’re matching donations 100% on Givology and asking donors to share their reflections of giving back on social media. For anyone who shares, we’ll send a $5 gift card.
  [b]November 28, 2018 (Day 7) - Featuring Chapters and In-Kind Technology Donations [/b]
  Our chapters are critical to the work that we do in the community. We’ll feature stories from our chapters and encourage supporters to start their own Givology chapters. We are also looking to collect used laptops, tablets, calculators, e-readers, and other classroom technology items in good condition, with drop off points at our chapters.
  [b]November 29, 2018 (Day 8) - Official Snapchat launch[/b]
  Givology is now on Snapchat! We’ll kick off our Snapchat with stories from our partner and volunteer network.
  [b]November 30, 2018 (Day 9) - Givology Tweetchat with Co-Founders[/b]
  Our co-founders Joyce and Jenn will be on Twitter from 3 PM EDT to 5 PM EDT. You can ask us anything! Just send us questions or comments with the tag #givchat on Twitter and then follow the responses that follow from the Givology account.
  [b]December 1, 2018 (Day 10) - Milestone Recap[/b]
  Thank you so much for a great 10 years, but we are even more fired up for the next 10 years to come. We’re releasing a montage of milestones from the last 10 years, and hope that you can all share ideas and suggestions for the next 10 years.
  
  [img]/images/user/1842_14943284425775911488.png[/img]
  
• What is Education?

  Saturday, November 10, 2018 at 01:59:38 AM by Givology Staff

  Education. We talk about it, criticize it, extol it, promote it. Sometimes it’s perceived as an cookie-cutter process; other times, we see education as a holistic and enlightening experience. Some of us have easy access to it, others none at all. And with so many discrepancies in its applications-look [url=https://www.givology.org/~givologystaff/blog/642203/]here[/url]-it’s different to determine what education’s ideal implementation looks like.
  So, when it comes down it, what exactly is education in the first place? Can we define it at all?
  [font="Times New Roman"] Like a lot of other things, the answers to these questions aren’t exactly simple ones. Different people, who are educators themselves or have received arguably successful educations, all have different opinions on what education’s main purpose is.[/font]
  [font="Times New Roman"] For example, journalist Sydney J. Harris once stated: “the whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows.” So, if one were to go with Harris’s opinions, education is an apparatus for individuals to empathize with others-something that encourages one to look outward rather than inward. [/font]
  [font="Times New Roman"] In comparison, psychologist B.F Skinner once described education as “what survives when what has been learned has been forgotten.” Well, now, education is-according to Skinner- essentially the knowledge or information that most deeply impacts an individual on a personal level. [/font]
  [font="Times New Roman"] But then there’s the ancient Greek historian, Plutarch. He once stated that “the very spring and root of honesty and virtue lie in good education.” Education is also, apparently, a vehicle to greater morals and ethics.[/font]
  [font="Times New Roman"] Even the dictionary isn’t sure how to exactly pin education: Oxford first defines education as “the process of receiving or giving systematic instruction, especially at a school or university”, but also as, very simply, “an enlightening experience.”[/font]
  [font="Times New Roman"] So, moral of the story: humans can’t seem to pinpoint what the main focus of education should be. Should education be about observing others? Improving one’s morals? Chances are, if you were to factor in the many other opinions about education, doing so would only broaden the scope of answers to that question. [/font]
  [font="Times New Roman"] But- when examining [/font]the the nuanced[font="Times New Roman"] perceptions about education, there’s one overlapping similarity. Education always encourages positive development in the individual lucky enough to receive it. [/font]
  [font="Times New Roman"] As Harris described, education encourages empathy with others, as opposed to a vainer concentration upon oneself; according to Skinner, it gives an individual the ability to outlast the shortcomings of memorization; it makes one more ethically sound, like Plutarch noted; and as the dictionary would say, it just gives you a greater understanding [/font]of[font="Times New Roman"] important topics.[/font]
  All these developments are, objectively speaking, pretty good things. Possibly the one idea all educators- or education-receivers- would agree upon is that education is simply positive. It should benefit the individuals it reaches.
  And, materialistically speaking, education has benefited individuals. In general, the more education one receives, the more money one tends to make; one additional year of schooling typically translates to a 10% increase in the pay of future jobs.
  [font="Times New Roman"] But the opposite logic is also true: in general, the less schooling one [/font]recieves[font="Times New Roman"], the less they are projected to earn during a year. [/font]
  For those in developing countries, effects are possibly the most drastic. Girls in lower-income countries who have completed secondary education are expected to make twice as much as those with no education. And when only one in three girls in such countries complete lower secondary school, the implications turn troubling- a majority of girls in developing countries make half the pay of their counterparts, purely due to missed educational opportunities.
  [font="Times New Roman"] And don’t be fooled into thinking that this trend only applies to those in developing countries. Individuals who have less schooling in the United States also typically earn less: the median pay of Americans who have associate degrees is just over 41K. In comparison, those who never graduated high school typically have a median pay of just over 25K. [/font]
  [font="Times New Roman"] The thing is, 25K can only go so far. That sum might just be able to cover minimum living costs, but still be insufficient for retirement costs.[/font]
  [font="Times New Roman"] Based on this, it’s logical to conclude that the less education one has, the greater obstacles one might face in life. Focusing on education can help one attain greater prosperity, and even potentially break out of poverty. Simply put, education is good- because it benefits individuals’ personal lives.[/font]
  [font="Times New Roman"] But the reverse is also true. If we take a look at the bigger picture of the process outlined above, we can see that education can also benefit entire communities and societies. [/font]
  [font="Times New Roman"] If numerous individuals attain education in a society, and more education correlates with higher pay, then this development essentially implies that entire societies can experience increasing production. Consequently, the whole economy grows. This is precisely why education has been nicknamed “human capital”- educating humans can play a key role in economic development. [/font]
  In the end, education is good; it positively impacts students, and tangibly benefits both the individual and the community. It can provide a way to break out of intergenerational poverty, and strengthen one’s chances at prosperity. Perceptions about education may differ, but perhaps there’s one thing we can all agree on: education is something we cannot afford to give up.
  [font="Times New Roman"] That said, there have been- and maybe always will be- variations in what education’s exact nature is. Some believe [/font]it ’s a[font="Times New Roman"] pathway to stronger morals. Others may view it as a way to hone societal comprehension and empathy. [/font]
  What type of education do you believe in? Click [url=https://www.givology.org/giv-now/]here[/url] to donate, choose an organization or student you want to help, and show your support!
  
• Donors, Volunteers, Givers

  Tuesday, October 30, 2018 at 02:30:56 AM by Givology Staff

  Are countries beginning to deprioritize education?
  Unfortunately, statistics suggest that might be the case. Major donor countries in the international OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) Development Assistance Committee contribute billions of dollars to education every year. Normally, this money goes toward supporting the educational systems of developing countries, like Niger and Sierra Leone. However, countries seem to be decreasing how much they give.
  [font="Times New Roman"] Between 2009 and 2012, for example, the amount of money going toward education fell by over 10%. That’s a pretty big drop- one that suggests that governments are concentrating less on giving aid to the schools that need it. [/font]
  But that doesn’t mean everybody is caring less about education. In fact, big businesses have been stepping up to the plate.
  [font="Times New Roman"] For example, it doesn’t seem like Google, Coca-Cola, and Verizon have much in common- other than the fact that they’re all enormous businesses, with a lot of recognition in their respective areas of specialization. However, all three companies share an additional, common initiative: bettering education. [/font]
  [font="Times New Roman"] As their employees and customers take a stronger stance on improving education, these larger companies have also become more involved with strengthening educational processes. Coca-Cola, for example, provides supplies and donates to several countries across the globe, such as Argentina, China, and Chile; they also focus on building educational infrastructure and providing mentoring to teachers. [/font]
  [font="Times New Roman"] Similarly, while Google may be headquartered in the U.S, it works to increase the number of students enrolled in schools worldwide. Google.org has also provided millions of dollars to educational organizations across the [/font]world,[font="Times New Roman"] and sometimes provides community grants to help out local schools. In the same vein, Verizon has provided tablets with data plans and other technological devices to underfunded schools.[/font]
  So sure. While a search engine, beverage company, and telecommunications company don’t appear to have much in common, they do have one overlapping initiative- the expansion and improvement of education. So providing help- specifically toward education- still takes a spot on the priority list, even if a company’s focus is on trying to improve Internet quality, provide sustenance, or improve communication. It’s a pretty astonishing fact that just goes to show how widely acknowledged the importance of education is.
  And the citizen populace is beginning to give more as well. In the United States alone, giving increased by three percent from 2016 to 2018. Americans, on average, also donated the largest percentage (1.7%) of their collective GDP (Gross Domestic Product-basically how much money a country makes each year) to charities. [font="Times New Roman"]They’re followed by New Zealanders, Canadians, and individuals belonging to the U.K (who donated .79%, .77%, and .54% respectively).[/font]
  And while not all of these donations go toward education (they could be instead heading toward local foundations or humanitarian crises)- education is still the most-frequently-donated-to cause. In fact, donations for education comprise 14% of all donations at an approximate value of $58.9 billion. So education is pretty high up on the priority list for general individuals.
  [font="Times New Roman"] The thing is, money isn’t the only thing that people have been donating- time is perhaps an even more valuable currency.[/font]
  Over half of the U.S population has reported volunteering in the past year. This isn’t too surprising; volunteering is one of the most direct, and rewarding, ways to make an impact on those around you. And by dedicating your time to something separate from yourself, you not only provide help to others but forge personal connections. The pure positivity of this process makes it no surprise that people literally help themselves by volunteering; research has shown that volunteering has been documented to boost well-being, and decrease the likelihood of depression.
  And there’s no shortage of ways to get involved. Local foundations, libraries, volunteer tutor centers, and Givology all offer ways for one to begin the volunteering process. (To learn more about volunteering for Givology, click [url=https://www.givology.org/get-involved/volunteer/]here[/url].)
  [font="Times New Roman"] It’s true; in a purely monetary context, one could say that governments may have begun deprioritizing education. But that doesn’t mean businesses or individuals should follow their lead. Hold true to your beliefs and values- and remember; every individual can make a difference, whether it’s via money or time. [/font]