JOY OF GIVING WEEK

Giving with glad and generous hearts has a way of routing out the tough old miser within us. Even the poor need to know that they can give. Just the very act of letting go of money, or some other treasure, does something within us. It destroys the demon greed!

SIFE is an international non-profit organization that works with leaders in business and higher education to mobilize university students to make a difference in their communities while developing the skills to become socially responsible business leaders. Participating students form teams on their university campuses and apply business concepts to develop outreach projects that improve the quality of life and standard of living for people in need. An annual series of regional and national competitions provides a forum for teams to present the results of their projects, and to be evaluated by business leaders serving as judges. National champion teams advance to the prestigious SIFE World Cup. In addition to the community aspect of the program, SIFEs leadership and career initiatives create meaningful opportunities for learning and exchange among the participants as well as the placement of students and alumni with companies in search of emerging talent. SIFE SOMAIYA, the SIFE team of K. J. Somaiya Institute of Management Studies & Research, came into being in 2004. The whole idea of SIFE is to serve the underprivileged not by helping them financially but by instilling the spirit of entrepreneurship in them. In light of this thought, the SIFE SOMAIYA team has initiated projects that have helped the communities leverage on their potential to have a sustained source of income in life. SIFE SOMAIYA has taken up various projects in the last 5 years, each being unique in itself and catering to a different social issue. These projects have been planned, executed and financed solely by the students. The Joy of Giving Week (JGW) is a "festival of philanthropy" that aims to become a part of the Indian ethos, with the Week being celebrated every year covering Gandhi Jayanti by engaging people through "acts of giving" - money, time, resources and skills - spanning the corporate, NGO and government sectors, schools, colleges and the general public. Originally called "India Giving Week", the name "Joy of Giving Week" emerged from a set of choices provided by the ad agency, Euro RSCG India, which provided PR, creative and media services for the Joy of Giving Week.