A question which I think about every now and then: “Before giving money to a poor person, should we first check whether the person genuinely needs it?”
At first, the answer seems obvious. Of course, we should check. After all, we have heard so many stories.
The person begging at the signal may actually be part of an organised begging racket.
The man asking for money for a bus ticket may repeat the same story every day.
The woman carrying a small child may be using someone else’s child to gain sympathy.
And the money we give may sometimes be used for alcohol, tobacco or something we never intended to support. So naturally, the practical mind says: “Verify before you donate.”
But then I started thinking a little deeper. In India, we live in a society of extreme contrasts. At one signal, you may see a 1 crore car waiting next to a barefoot old man selling pens. Outside a lavish wedding where lakhs are spent on flowers that will be thrown away the next morning, someone may be waiting for leftover food.
We comfortably spend Rs. 300 on a coffee, Rs. 1,000 on a weekend dinner and sometimes Rs. 5,000 on something we don’t really need. But when someone asks us for Rs. 20, our mind suddenly becomes an investigation agency.
“Is he genuinely poor?”
“What if he is lying?”
“What if he earns more than we think?”
“What if he misuses my money?”
These are valid questions.
But perhaps there is another question worth asking: How much verification is reasonable for the amount I am giving?
If I am donating Rs. 5 lakh to an NGO, I should definitely check its credentials, utilisation of funds, governance and impact.
If I am sponsoring a child’s education, I may want to understand the family’s financial situation.
If I am paying for someone’s medical treatment, verifying the hospital documents is absolutely sensible.
The larger and more structured the donation, the greater the responsibility to verify.
But what about the Rs. 10, Rs. 20 or Rs. 100 we give to someone on the street? Do we really need to conduct a financial audit of that person’s life?
Maybe the person is lying.
Maybe my Rs. 50 will be misused.
That possibility certainly exists. But there is another possibility too.
Maybe he has not eaten since morning or maybe she genuinely needs money to reach home or maybe the old man asking for help has nobody waiting for him or maybe my small act of kindness is the only good thing that happens to that person that day.
The truth is, we may never know. And that is where giving becomes complicated. I personally feel there are two different types of giving.
One is impact-driven giving.
Here, I want my money to create a specific outcome — education, healthcare, food, skill development or rehabilitation. In such cases, verification is important. We should ask questions. We should ensure that our money reaches the right place.
The second is compassion-driven giving.
Sometimes, you simply see a person and your heart tells you to help. There may be no PAN card, income certificate, bank statement or proof of poverty. You are simply responding to a human being standing in front of you. In such moments, perhaps it is okay to accept a small risk of being fooled.
Of course, if you are uncomfortable giving cash, there are alternatives.
Buy the person a meal.
Pay directly for the medicine.
Purchase the bus ticket.
Give groceries instead of money.
Support a verified local organisation.
Sponsor education directly through the school.
India has no shortage of opportunities to help. But I sometimes wonder if, in our fear of helping the “wrong person”, we end up helping no person at all. We want 100% certainty before giving. Unfortunately, life rarely offers 100% certainty.
Yes, be wise. Verify when the amount is significant. Avoid knowingly supporting addiction or organised exploitation. But perhaps, once in a while, it is also okay to give ₹50 and move on without wondering for the next two hours whether the person “deserved” it.
If someone cheats me of ₹50 by pretending to be hungry, I lose ₹50. But if someone is genuinely hungry and I refuse to help because I am afraid of being cheated, perhaps the loss is of a different kind.
Charity needs wisdom. But compassion also needs a little trust.
Sir, I truly appreciate your concern. I completely agree with your views.
We should trust our instincts, yet we need not feel guilty if we cannot verify every story.
To help within our means, while also protecting our safety and peace of mind, is both compassionate and responsible.
Because every sincere act of kindness, however small, carries real meaning..
So nicely written and so relatable. You explained “donating wisely” in a way everyone can understand. कधी verify करायला हवं हे पण छान explain केलंय. Liked it 👍