Chandra Bhanu Satpathy Talks About the Crucial Value Behind Philanthropy
To begin with, let’s first look into what philanthropy is. In simple terms, it is the goodwill you put toward other people. This can include volunteering, monetary gifts, and humanitarian acts.
Organizations or people of all kinds can be philanthropic. However, the term is often applied to wealthy people or corporations who dedicate much of their efforts and money to charitable causes.
Consider Chandra Bhanu Satpathy – one of our time’s best scholars, spiritual thinkers, and humanitarians. As an Indian Cultural Ambassador, Satpathy is also one of the few individuals who has shown significant progress in his philanthropic work.
Dr. Satpathy is the Founder and Chairman of the Shirdi Sai Global Foundation. To him, a temple is not only meant for worship but is also meant for giving help to the needy and the distressed people suffering from hunger and sickness. Under his guidance, many temples ran dispensaries and fed the poor regularly. Satpathy has also focused its role on helping to provide relief and rehabilitation work in flood-affected areas of the State of Uttarakhand in 2012, Jammu & Kashmir in 2014, and the cyclone-affected areas of the State of Odisha in 2013.
Dr. Satpathy is also the Founder and Chairman of the CBS Cultural Foundation in 2021, responsible for treating SARS-CoV-2. Under his leadership, the foundation donated more than 20 oxygen concentrators to Odisha State Medical Corporation Ltd. He is also the founder of the Sai Kripa Bangla Sansthan, Kolkata – a charitable trust that focuses on a wide range of activities that include skill development, especially for widows and women who are socially weaker sections of their society. He also provides financial assistance to Starship Foundation, Auckland, and Lily Foundation.
As someone who has been involved with philanthropic work for years, he has shared a few reasons why philanthropy holds so much importance in our world.
Strengthening Communities
Despite having technology that virtually connects us, the days of being a tightly-knit community have long gone. Philanthropy fuels a person or an organization’s involvement in their community. Whether it’s through giving money or time, philanthropy can unite people to support a cause bigger than themselves.
Good For Mental Health
Philanthropy works on looking outside of yourself and helping others. And for most people, it can foster a strong sense of self-fulfillment. People who feel they have a purpose and positively impact the world tend to have improved emotional health. Several research types have shown that it can diminish symptoms of depression, loneliness, and stress.
Supporting Underfunded Causes
Philanthropy has always been important for society because there are many instances where governments around the world cannot meet the needs of all causes that plague their community. Many government budgets are often slashed due to politics or a need to shift the money to someplace different. As a result, this can leave a gap in areas where support is needed. This is where philanthropic businesses and individuals can come together and help fill these gaps by supporting causes that do not use government funding.
