Planning a social entrepreneurship program when we are an “outsider”

The world is open to us to do good through programs to help people in need, but some doors are partly closed from the very beginning. It is noble for us to decide that we want to help elderly prisoners or newly recruited young people in a Los Angeles street gang, but the reality may be that the odds of us being able to help are extremely slim.

Although we might have motivation, resources, and a good program idea, we may not have a “snowball’s chance” of ever delivering any service to some categories of people.

I support unrestricted dreaming in the beginning of a contemplated project. We should allow our pain for people in need to ooze from our pores and feel the exhilaration of thinking that we will step forward to make a difference in this world!

The next step is to go look in a mirror.

Who are we… where do we come from… how are we similar and different from the people we want to help?

Your potential clients must want assistance from you if services provided are to be successful. Do not assume that the people you want to help are interested in your help.

This is a very important issue. Sometimes good hearted people may seek to help a community of need of which they are not a part. Although the community may truly need assistance, they may not want help from an outsider.  One way to address this potential problem is to network with individuals and organizations that are a part of the community we seek to assist. Even this can be a touchy process.

When we are asked, “Why do you want to help us,” we need to have an answer that is positively received. Whatever answer we give has to come from our heart. We can touch others in the way we want only through truth.

Great humility is necessary by an outsider. We must present ourselves as small people. Even if the work we seek to do is important, we must not give the impression that we view ourselves as important. Some good hearted people have difficulty showing the deep humility needed when trying to work with others.

Even when appropriate humility is shown, sometimes things simply don’t work out. People may walk away from us for unknown reasons, and we must respect this. Sometimes it is very difficult for “outsiders” to help.

Thank you for reading my small blog.

Best wishes. – Keith