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I have taken a step back the last few months and have been thinking a lot about humanity; not humanity on a global scale but humanity in our own backyard, within our own community.  It could be in my professional community, my personal, friends, or family.  They all encompass what we would consider our community.

The dictionary defines humanity in three ways, one being “the quality of being humane; kindness; benevolence”.  And yet, call me cynical, not everyone who is human is humane.  I think it takes a lot for people to be humane in typical circumstances, never mind in circumstances that require understanding, patience, compassion, grace.

And this brings me to the word philanthropy.  Many of you may know, I am the host of a show on AM650 called The Backyard Philanthropist.  There is an assumption or a misunderstanding, that the show is about money.  It isn’t…

It is about loving humanity in our own backyard.  Relying once again on the origin of a word, philanthropy is actually defined as ‘for the love of humanity’.

Up until a few months ago, I really lived behind rose colored glasses.  It didn’t matter if you made mistakes, or weren’t perfect because, well, we are human.  We are ALL human.  God knows, I have two out of three children with disabilities, I am well versed in an alternative ‘perfection’.

And when we make mistakes, or someone makes a mistake, errs, shows imperfection, we show compassion, grace, patience.  We act humane.  We do not assume, turn our backs, judge.

On the backyard philanthropist, I am fortunate to talk with many people who are humane.  Who give of themselves in ways that go far beyond grace.  Not because they have to, but because they want to, choose to.

I’ve talked to people who help teens and young adults transition from the foster system, like Gale from Aunt Leah’s.  I have met inspiring story tellers like Cathie Borrie, who shares her mother’s Alzheimer’s journey in The Long Hello.  Or Tradeworks Society, that supports women entering the trades to procure better employment, a better future.

Or maybe it is corporate citizens like Bryan, the CEO of Science World, who excitedly leads his team in building community around science and technology.  The likes of Peter, the CEO of SPUD, who is passionate about food, where it comes from, and wants every home to experience the same.

After several months of loosing faith in humanity, it is the people who remain, who stand here and are humane despite adversity, that inspire me to dig out my rose colored glasses.  They sit precariously on my bedside table and maybe, just maybe, one of these days soon, I will be able to place them back on.

For the past half a dozen years, I have been calling myself the Backyard Philanthropist.  

Traditionally, philanthropy has been associated with the likes of the Rockefellers and the Fords, Carnegies.  In today’s day and age, we have Bill Gates and Warren Buffet and other celebrities who through their financial success are pledging to give their fortune away to causes.

I talk about this a lot; grassroots giving started back in the early 1900’s when the Red Cross raised over $200 million dollars during the war.  Reason being?  Everyone was affected; mother’s sent their sons to fight, wives lost their husbands, children were born while their father’s were at war.  The economy was impacted, the hearts of people were impacted, community was impacted.

It is no surprise that Canada’s 10 biggest charities are somewhat broad in nature but each and everyone can and does impact someone, at some point in time.  You’ve got World Vision Canada, United Way, Heart and Stroke Foundation, Sick Kids, Salvation Army, Canadian Cancer Society, Canadian Red Cross, Plan International, Canadian Unicef and Canadian Diabetes Association.

I doubt you would ever find a niche charitable organization in Canada’s top 10.  However, that doesn’t mean that niche organizations can’t and don’t have impact in community and it doesn’t mean that we can’t impact change with our own small change.

So what is Backyard Philanthropy?  Exactly what I shared above, small change impacting small change, a redistribution of wealth at a grassroots level.  The Wellesley Institute shared a StatsCan report that indicated individuals and businesses donated $11.6 billion.  $11.6 billion dollars!  That is a lot of money and that equates to a lot of impact.

I have three children and I can’t tell you how many times I have gone out early on a Saturday morning in the pouring rain collecting pop cans to raise money for team uniforms, or new balls, bats.  I feel that sometimes, in our world, we give more clout to Bill Gates and Warren Buffet for redistributing their billions in wealth and less to every day individuals, who in Canada, have a $11.6 billion impact.

Recently, there was controversy regarding Nick Hanauer’s TED Talk indicating that it is the middle class that are the job creators not the one percent.  I’d would have to say that is the same for nonprofit, charitable dollars…the bulk comes from every day people, in community.

And that is Backyard Philanthropy…every day people, in community, giving of their time, their resources, their acumen to make small change.  And we all know that small change adds up to big impact.

Follow me on Twitter and learn more about the many community organizations I meet who are making big impact through small change.

CHARITABLE GIVING EASIER TO IMPLEMENT THAN EVER WITH NEW GLOBAL CURRENTS TECHNOLOGY

VANCOUVER, BC, August 10, 2010 – Non-profit organizations now have access to a range of high-tech, affordable and easy solutions to their donor programs with the launch of Global Currents. Global Currents, parent company to PincGiving, houses the company’s IT platforms ranging from simple Donation Gateways to fully custom Peer to Peer Platforms.

“We created Global Currents with the idea that web solutions for non-profits should be affordable and simple to use”, says Beverley Pomeroy, Global Currents founder and CEO.  “Our platforms, whether they are the free PINC Donate Now button or even our more complex Give Cubed Platform are all straight forward solutions that actually work for a non-profit.  Affordable innovation - what a concept”, says Pomeroy.

Global Currents works with charities to help generate, sustain and develop sources of income, drive partnerships, and utilize the web to create ‘peer to peer’ fundraising.  The Company offers Corporate Social Responsibility consulting for companies wanting to do ‘the right thing’ and maintains a large database of cause driven content.  Global Currents also owns The Life On Purpose™ Network,an online cause driven video platform dedicated to profiling philanthropic content from around the world.

“We are the most dedicated team of ‘doers’ you will find in the industry”, says Pomeroy.  “More than selling you a product, each member of our team brings a combined experience and understanding of what is needed in the not-for-profit world that you quite simply won’t find elsewhere.”

Cause Driven Platforms for Cause Driven People

Global Currents contact: (604) 648-9428

www.globalcurrents.org

Media contact:

Madelaine Hatch

604 720-5185

madelainehatch@shaw.ca

About Beverley Pomeroy

Global Currents & PincGiving were started by Beverley as a living legacy to her daughter Sophia, who was born with a life limiting illness so rare there is yet to be a name; she requires constant medical care, and utilizes many resources within her community.  Beverley’s passion for global change and her desire to find a purpose in the tragedy her family faced, led her to find a solution to some of the issues she was hearing within her own supportive not for profit community.  With the intention of facilitating online giving, PincGiving was born and continues to grow globally into a recognized social giving platform.

Beverley is a 2009 Business in Vancouver Top 40 Under Forty recipient as well as a 2009 Stevie Award finalist, recognized as one of Canada’s Top Female Entrepreneurs.  She has spoken at the UN Informal Regional Network, Social Media for Social Good, SXSW, and is participating in the upcoming Transatlantic Forum in NY.

As a sought after speaker, Beverley’s honest, heartwarming story of mom to business creator breaks down the walls of any audience while her expertise in online fundraising has listeners walking away armed with tangible solutions to make their own online fundraising successful.

Beverley sits as a director on the foundation board of Reach Youth and Child Society, formerly Delta Association of Child Development.