Grants by definition are provisions offered by governments and financial institutions to people who meet a predetermined criterion. This criterion varies depending from state to state, but not everyone can meet these prerequisites. Governments often provide grants to students and well deserving people but they do not have a specified criterion for philanthropists. These individuals have to fuel their projects and efforts by using their own finances. Although this is highly commendable, their efforts will always be restricted due to the lack of funds.
Most philanthropists will actually have to set up a nonprofit organization to obtain a grant or any type of leniency. This deters many people from actually doing good as they do not only have to finance the entire costs but have to abide by state regulations as well. This is precisely why philanthropic efforts should be provided with some sort of subsidization. This does not mean that the current grants, which are offered to nonprofits, should change in any way. Nonprofit organizations have a huge role to play in how our economy is progressing on a global scale and governments should offer them more support to help them continue doing their work.
Take the Anti-Pollution Drive Foundation for example. This nonprofit was founded by Abdullah A. Rehman and is a registered under the Indian Trust Act. They focus on eradicating air pollution and developing remedies to help preserve the environment. Furthermore, this nonprofit has recently tapped into one of the swiftly growing issues in India, i.e. solid waste management. Their project ‘Prathi Manegey Shauchalaya’ has, in fact, received a lot of praise throughout the country. Under this campaign, the Anti-Pollution Drive is installing a toilet in every home in the rural areas in pursuit of addressing the solid waste management issues Mangaluru, and the rest of India is facing.
However, these organizations comprise of multiple people who pool their finances for the betterment of society. While a single philanthropist will have to rely only on their respective resources and are not provided any type of relief in regulation costs such as taxes. These philanthropists are shaping the world as we speak, and their efforts should be supported at the very least. Here are a couple of key reasons why philanthropists should be provided with grants or reliefs when they are investing in a social project.
They help the education sector
This may come as a surprise to many, but these philanthropists are the driving force behind the growth of educational sectors all around the world. They have set up thousands of schools which provide either free education or charge extremely low tuition fees. In most developing countries, these individuals are setting up more schools than their respective governments.
They help the health sector
The health sector has also benefited greatly by the efforts of these humanitarians who have set up hospitals and health care facilities in their respective communities. What’s even more remarkable is the fact that they don’t just set up medical institutions, but also ensure that they continue to operate seamlessly.
These two social projects are just a glimpse into the many different areas of our society where philanthropists have made tremendous progress. Providing them with grants will only help them reach their cause, consequently developing the communities on the whole.