Philanthropy
The Afghan philanthropic giving has a long history and is well represented in traditional Afghan civil society through various traditional and modern forms. Most Afghans consider this to be part of the practice of their faith to make donations. An emerging concept in Afghanistan is that of corporate social responsibility (CSR) within the private sector. Despite high potential within the private sector, the full potential of domestic philanthropy has been under- recognized and hindered due to the lack of a) an enabling environment, b) trust, accountability and transparency, and c) organized institutional mechanisms. AICS aims to promote philanthropy through the private sector and individual-giving by:
E-Philanthropy
While government-sponsored centralized philanthropy — otherwise known as foreign aid — has declined 50% in the United States in the 90s, bottom-up philanthropy is increasing. According to the AAFRC Trust for Philanthropy, charitable giving totaled $174.5 billion in 1998, an increase of 11% over 1997…and 77% was given by individual Americans. There was a potential for another $184 billion in 1998, without anyone having to raid their savings. Channeling this tidal force, and expressing it in terms other than mere money, is key to e-philanthropy.
Here's how e-philanthropy will be different from traditional charity
| Traditional | E-philanthropy | |
|---|---|---|
| Who | the wealthy | everyone |
| What | donating money | investing thier time, skills and money |
| How | through large, centerlized organization | directly with poeple who need assistance |
| Why | board humanitarian goals | personalized projects, with direct feedback |
| Result | impersonal aid | highly-focused tools and resources |
| poeple the donors never meet | Giovanni Rovelli | people the donors communicate with regularity |