The United States of America is the most generous country in the world over a long period of time according to the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) World Giving Index. Unlike Czechia that is among the least charitable countries. Americans love helping out people in need. Donating money to charity seems much less common for Czechs.
I believe it is not a lack of generosity. In an emergency situation, or when people are touched by a strong story, they do not hesitate to help. Immediately and generously. Although generosity often goes hand-in-hand with charity, Czechs are just very slowly getting used to contributing regularly to charity. While society is getting richer, still a lot of people consider themselves not having “enough money” for donating to charity. Many also distrust organizations to use their money well or to make any positive changes. This, however, does not necessarily mean that people are not involved in communal life or are not involved in charitable programs. Some just prefer to help through volunteering or donating goods instead of financial donations. Maybe the recent powerful start of the Vlček Family Foundation (NRV) will help to further promote charitable giving. NRV was established to support families affected by their child’s serious illness by Ondřej Vlček, CEO of Avast Software, and his wife Katarína, a doctor in a small hospice. The couple decided to invest almost € 60 million (or 1.5 billion Kč) from their property in the foundation.
Everyone Can Make A Difference
Ordinary people can also do extraordinary things. Like this group of enthusiasts – bikers – who have decided for helping people with muscular dystrophy. Muscular dystrophy is a group of genetic muscle diseases that result in the gradual weakening and breakdown of skeletal muscles and prevent movement over time eventually. These disorders are incurable. Proper rehabilitation and medication would slow it down for a while. The scary part is that they only affect muscles, not the brain. People with muscular dystrophy can watch all the changes happening with their bodies. But they do not want us to express our regrets. They want to participate in everyday life. This was actually the reason for Josef „Káďa“ Kadeřábek, a lifelong motorcycle enthusiast, for founding the MDA RIDE charity. It helps people with muscular dystrophy to achieve more within the limited time they have.
A biker charity event! Who would have guessed it, right? The idea to organize a motorcycle charity ride originated in the USA in the early 1980s and became an inspiration for the new MDA RIDE, an annual biker charity event. This big day of solidarity is about a joint ride-out of riders on motorcycles of all sizes and brands involving people with muscular dystrophy in cars of the MDA RIDE’s partners. What started with a nice sum of € 7 thousand (or 182 thousand Kč) at the parking lot of the Letňany shopping mall back in 2009 has turned into a real success story. At the present time, the MDA RIDE organizes the largest motorcycle charity event in Czechia being the only such project in the European Union. Even more amazing is that those ordinary people have donated already over € 333 thousand (or 8.5 million Kč) and helped to finance 441 projects to benefit individual people with muscular dystrophy during the first twelve years of 2009 to 2020. The MDA RIDE charity gains all resources by fundraising and takes advantage of the free help of many supporters and volunteers. All of those ordinary people have already made a huge positive difference in the world we live in. Last but not least, less than 1% on average is sufficient for the MDA RIDE to cover its own costs with the events and necessary external services.
Charity Is A Never-Ending Campaign
The majority of donors prefer online donations to selected projects. The willingness to donate money directly in the streets is gradually declining. There is only invisible hard work behind the success story and awareness of the MDA RIDE. While looking for lasting, long-term support, the MDA RIDE is not moaning but rather following the path of positive communication. Showing hope. People and businesses need to hear that their contribution will make sense and help to make a meaningful difference. It is necessary not only to communicate with all donors and inform them about how the MDA RIDE helps with their money. MDA RIDE also has to come up with new ideas on how to attract donors. For example, people can become even more linked to the MDA RIDE’s success story with the MDA RIDE v mobilu digital info card for mobile wallets. It has become a new communication channel for the MDA RIDE being interactive and allowing for sending push notifications with information about how the MDA RIDE is doing directly to the lock screen of mobile phones. The digital info card can be simply added to mobile wallets such as Apple Wallet and Google Pay without downloading another app. People who do care about the MDA RIDE so never ever miss any important news. This MDA RIDE’s digital info card can’t be lost and serves as smart bookmarks to the MDA RIDE on the mobile phones of people – supporters, partners, and sponsors.
You don’t have to raise billions to be a bold charity. Like the MDA RIDE. By creating various sponsorship and partnership options, it allows businesses of all kinds and sizes as well as individuals to connect with MDA RIDE through sponsorship and donorship. Every single crown counts.
