The World that Changes the World
HOW PHILANTHROPY, INNOVATION, AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP ARE TRANSFORMING THE SOCIAL ECOSYSTEM

Chapter 3: Charity Definition

Different Kinds of Kindness

Sharifah Mohamed

Manager, Lien Centre for Social Innovation

Charity has come to mean different things to different people.

At its core, charity is about kindness and providing for the poor and needy. However, over time, this idea of kindness has been stretched to cover all aspects of community good, leading to some unintended results in closing the rich/poor divide.

At the same time, charity work has not often been sufficiently extended to deal with the root causes—rather than just the symptoms—of social issues. For charity work to be effective, it must draw more on the head, rather than rely merely on the heart. In addition, a more hands-on approach will connect the giver more to the cause and the real needs of charities.