Every bit makes a difference

With the financial crisis continuing to dominate national and international headlines, it is clear that the coming months and years will bring tough choices to all of us. Everyone, rich and poor, must reconsider priorities and budgets. Yet as most of us worry about our own futures, there are people in the United States and around the world whose futures are even more at risk -- those who depend on our generosity for their very survival.

In times of financial hardship, the less fortunate suffer in amazingly disproportionate ways. While many of us make ends meet by cutting back on “discretionary” spending and pushing larger purchases off into the future, people living in poverty have no such options. They might be forced to cut their one daily meal in half, forgo medicine or stop sending their children to school.

Historically during recessions, Americans have expressed their solidarity with the less fortunate by reaching out, volunteering and giving even more. This was true during the oil crisis of the 1970s, after Sept. 11 and in countless other market dips and crashes -- even during the Great Depression. Maintaining this generosity is even more crucial in the current crisis because of the undeniable fact that we all now live in a global village, with our economies, our health, our security and our lives connected in unprecedented ways.

Those of us in the nonprofit and charity sector rely on three main funding sources: government agencies, foundations and individual donors. This financial crisis threatens all three. Foundations may be hardest hit, as their giving is often completely tied to their investment portfolios, which have plummeted in recent months. This leaves government and individual donors to fill the gap, even as both face major financial challenges of their own.

The good news is that so many charities and programs are worth giving to. They are making real traction in alleviating poverty, disease and suffering. As more people face hard times, we will all benefit from the effective strategies and models they’ve developed in recent decades. Consider just three recent examples from the work of our fellow Hilton Humanitarian Prize laureates.

* Operation Smile and Partners in Health collaborated in Haiti to give free cleft lip and palate surgeries to 120 children and adults, among the nearly 11,000 patients in 28 countries who were treated without charge by Operation Smile in 2008.

* A Women for Women International program for 540 women in the highly volatile conflict area of South Kivu, Congo, resulted in 80% sending their children to school this year, up from 22% last year, and 90% reporting improvement in their children’s health.

* Heifer International supplied animals, from alpacas to bees to goats and rabbits, to families in 125 countries, including the United States, making it possible for families to improve their diet, send children to school or start a small business.

But the challenge now, during this economic downturn, is how we can sustain this type of work -- not just to save lives but also to safeguard our future. Warren Buffett recently said that his investment in the market is often counterintuitive. He invests when others are fearful and holding back. Our approach to philanthropy should be the same. Now is the perfect time for us to invest in the future of our world by ensuring that those who have next to nothing can keep and grow what little they have.

This holiday season, let’s reaffirm our belief in doing what we can for others: Give whatever you can, however you can -- either by making donations, giving them as gifts, volunteering or telling your friends about your favorite charities. Use this as an opportunity to evaluate and improve your philanthropy. Make sure your donations and volunteer efforts are having the greatest effect possible. When people are stretching to give, it is critical that every dollar count

Make it clear to our political leaders that you do not want to live in a country that bails out banks only to cut funding for basic services and successful humanitarian programs in such vital areas as AIDS, malaria, hunger and poverty alleviation. There are people in our own country, as well as around the world, whose futures depend on these programs.

Many of us are feeling vulnerable and afraid; our future looks uncertain. Those of us who have dedicated our lives and our work (and our own financial resources) to serving the poorest and most vulnerable people know firsthand what is at stake for those living on pennies a day.

As we come to the end of this roller-coaster year, let’s send a clear message to those who need us most that even if our bank accounts grow smaller, our hearts -- and our willingness to help others, will not. And let’s send a message to our leaders that we expect them to do the same.