The Giving Leader
- Vernon C. Lindsay, PhD
- May 8
- 2 min read
Dear Student Leader,
During yesterday’s Big Day of Giving, non-profit organizations asked for donations to support programs and services offered throughout Sacramento County. The Giving Edge platform, hosted organizations, collected contributions, and distributed funds. Although the “Big Day” ended, you can continue to give.
Contributing to a fundraiser is only one form of giving. Leaders can also give their energy, expertise, and empathy to causes bigger than their egos. Giving is a leadership virtue.
Feed the People
Fifteen years ago, my childhood friend Brandon Daurham started giving away food on Friday evenings to a community on Chicago’s Southside. Regardless of the weather, he stood outside at the corner of 79th and Cottage Grove, serving hot meals as part of his Feed The People program. In 2018, I interviewed him along with participants as part of my family’s YouTube series.
The program continues today. Brandon buys the food with his own money and donations from family members and friends. He devotes his time and resources to meeting the community's nutritional needs.
You can send him a Cash App donation @$BDaurhamFTP.
Brandon and I went to middle and high school together; we lived in the same neighborhood. He doesn’t possess any special talents or significant financial wealth. The brother is driven by passion, purpose, and a strong will to serve an underserved population.
Leaders begin with an itch to make a difference and scratch it by taking concrete actions.
You can follow a similar path to Brandon by championing causes that matter most to you. Identify your life’s mission and get to work. The resources you need to support your endeavor will be made available with guidance from a mentor/jegna and consistent action.
Huge amounts of startup cash are unnecessary to do meaningful work.
Each of the participating non-profit orgs in Sacramento’s Big Day of Giving began by identifying a problem and pursuing one remedy. With persistence and dedication, some organizations have received awards, financial support, and multiple indicators of success.
If making a difference is possible for them, it’s possible for you also. Get in the game, and a team will form to help you succeed.
Two weeks ago, I gave you a blog post that discussed domestic violence and mental health issues in response to the tragedies in Fairfax and Shreveport. I hope the post inspired and activated your leadership skills. If you’re unsure about how to respond, consider supporting organizations such as Stand Up Placer and Weave Inc; their programs help victims and perpetrators of domestic violence.
Meditate, listen to your heartbeat, and decide how you can support an individual, a group, or an institution. Get involved with causes that tug at your heartstrings and compel you to express love through your words and actions.
I am here to support you.
Subscribe to this blog, buy a book, enroll in these courses, or consider coaching services for additional assistance.
In solidarity with your leadership success,
V
The Eucharistic prayer always has the phrase, 'after supper, He took the cup'. We have instituted that supper every Sunday in our church down in Curacao, simple but filling.