Give 'til it hurts

In our study group we discussed giving. The question was whether giving without sacrifice was meaningful - hence "give until it hurts". At Social Venture Partners Cincinnati one of our guiding principles is "Have Fun". Like laughing until it hurts - I think finding the joy in giving is the key. So much joy that it "hurts".

Too often guilt plays a role in giving. Some people give out of guilt. At SVP Cincinnati we also have the mantra - "No Guilt". Too often volunteers at non-profits end up feeling guilty - not giving enough time or money. Their schedule gets busy and they "drop the ball" at the non-profit.

We are trying to build a culture in SVP that allows our Partners to lean on each other (e.g. it's a team not the individual) - and not feel guilty. When one person's schedule gets busy - someone else "has their back". So it is a "meta giving" - giving (e.g. helping) to another partner while giving to the non-profit.

So if it is so much fun that it hurts - then I will give until it hurts :)