Charity vs. Community Development*
Charity is giving to help make people’s lives better.
Community development is moving beyond charity to walk together and help improve people’s lives. Working together improves our lives, too.
| Charity |
Community Development |
| Meet a need |
Empower people |
| Doing 'for' |
Doing 'with' |
| What you think they need |
What they say they want |
| Arrogance |
Cooperation |
| Over/under |
Equal |
| Not necessarily personal relationships |
Personal relationships |
| Individuals/families |
Systems |
| Short-term |
Long-term |
| Single event |
Change |
| Immediate fix |
Long-term |
| Network |
Net-weave |
| Doing justice |
Doing reconciliation |
| Mercy for one |
Mercy for masses |
| Dependence |
Self-worth |
| Easy success |
High risk of failure |
| Pities people |
Respects people |
| Projects |
Process |
| Develops dependence |
Develops interdependence |
| Tell them |
Ask them |
* Many of these items were developed by the Kentucky CBF Mountain Hope Task Force.