The
Giving Back
Guidebook

Your Roadmap to
​Life-Transforming Generosity

Get your 2nd-edition copy now for only US$14.79.

The
Giving Back
Guidebook

Your Roadmap to
​Life-Transforming Generosity

Get your 2nd-edition copy now for only US$14.79.

Want to know how you can give back in the most effective way without having to figure it out on your own?

​The Giving Back Guidebook will guide you through starting a lifestyle of generosity that fulfils your purpose, maximises your influence, and transforms lives.

Want to know how you can give back in the most effective way without having to figure it out on your own?

​The Giving Back Guidebook will guide you through starting a lifestyle of generosity that fulfils your purpose, maximises your influence, and transforms lives.

Inside you'll discover:

Why you need to address your
desire to give back to the world;

How you can unlock a purpose-filled,
influential, joyful and generous lifestyle;

How the practice of giving back can massively enhance your performance, credibility, and relationships, both at work and in your personal life;

What life-transforming giving back looks like, and how different this is from the popular charity model;

How you can begin your effective giving back journey through a tried and tested, step-by-step roadmap; and

How you can positively transform your own life through the impact that you have on others.

This book
​is ​for you if:

This book
​is ​for you if:

You've experienced feeling "stuck" after hearing news about communities needing help because of a natural disaster, epidemic, sickness, disabilities, or poverty. You want to help, but you either don't know how to, feel you don't have enough to give, or aren't sure if your help will really matter;

You've been wanting to start giving back regularly, but you don't know where and how to start;

You desire to impact the world positively and to put that dream into action;

You felt overwhelmed, disappointed, or frustrated before when you tried giving back, so you've stopped. You ask if there's a better way of doing it;

You want to support a high-impact nonprofit group and are wondering how to go about looking for one; or

You are a believer of life-transforming generosity and would like to invite others to experience the journey too.

Purpose-minded business owners, community and youth leaders, marketplace managers, coaches, and mentors are GIFTING this book to their teams!

Purpose-minded business owners, community and youth leaders, marketplace managers, coaches, and mentors are GIFTING this book to their teams!

Message from the Author

Hi, I'm Joanna Blanding.

I'm so glad that you are taking this journey towards life-transforming generosity! You have so much talent, skills, resources, and personality that you can use to be a world changer. I believe in you! You can pursue the path of high-impact giving only through the proper knowledge, tools, and wisdom. You will not regret the decision you'll make to live a lifestyle of life-transforming generosity. Why do I say this? Because I've experienced it in my own life. And in this book, I've documented the stories of many others on this path.

Let me share a bit about myself: I used to be that person trying to figure out how to live a life of purpose. Then, I went through a journey...

The Ateneo-World Bank Youth Leaders Knowledge and Development Program taught me how to identify solvable social issues.

As one of the 100 young community leaders in the Philippines to be selected, I was able to participate in discussions with the country's leaders to propose solutions for development.

This became one of my early exposures to thought leaders in the nonprofit and government space, the process of identifying community issues, and building developmental frameworks for them.

U! Happy Events gave me a first-hand experience with regular volunteering.

From 2009 to 2011, I was part of this nonprofit group in the Philippines. I had the great opportunity to drive the organization's growth from 500 to 10,000 volunteers as it President.

Through the years in this role, I learned the heart of volunteers. At the same time, I was exposed to different perceptions of the communities that volunteers visited.

While the goal of U! Happy Events during its early years was pure, we should have looked extensively into our programs' sustainability. My eyes were opened to the dependencies created by certain charitable efforts that eventually harm the beneficiaries receiving support.

I had a vision to start a movement of global giving in Singapore. Giving is Social became the vehicle for this vision.

​Giving is Social started as a personal initiative to raise funds and equip expat volunteers and donors in Singapore. It has since evolved into a for-profit brand that puts front and center transformational impact on our supported non-profit groups, benefactors, and wider audience.

​Over the past decade, I have gained invaluable experience in resource building for non-profits and connecting with generous individuals. This journey has taught me about genuinely effective ways to support charities that result in positive transformation. I have looked at data, interviewed beneficiaries and supporters, and learned from practitioners in the space, especially Robert Lupton, author of "Toxic Charity."

The Ateneo-World Bank Youth Leaders Knowledge and Development Program taught me how to identify solvable social issues.

As one of the 100 young community leaders in the Philippines to be selected, I was able to participate in discussions with the country's leaders to propose solutions for development.

This became one of my early exposures to thought leaders in the nonprofit and government space, the process of identifying community issues, and building developmental frameworks for them.

U! Happy Events gave me a first-hand experience with regular volunteering.

From 2009 to 2011, I was part of this nonprofit group in the Philippines. I had the great opportunity to drive the organization's growth from 500 to 10,000 volunteers as it President.

Through the years in this role, I learned the heart of volunteers. At the same time, I was exposed to different perceptions of the communities that volunteers visited.

While the goal of U! Happy Events during its early years was pure, we should have looked extensively into our programs' sustainability. My eyes were opened to the dependencies created by certain charitable efforts that eventually harm the beneficiaries receiving support.

I had a vision to start a movement of global giving in Singapore. Giving is Social became the vehicle for this vision.

​Giving is Social started as a personal initiative to raise funds and equip expat volunteers and donors in Singapore to give. It has since evolved into a for-profit brand that puts front and center transformational impact on our supported non-profit groups, benefactors, and wider audience

​Over the past decade, I have gained invaluable experience in resource building for non-profits and connecting with generous individuals. This journey has taught me about genuinely effective ways to support charities that result in positive transformation. I have looked at data, interviewed beneficiaries and supporters, and learned from practitioners in the space, especially Robert Lupton, author of "Toxic Charity."

Women of the Future Awards in South East Asia connected me to women trailblazers who I can learn from.

I was selected as a nominee under the Community Spirit and Public Service category in 2019. Through this nomination, I've been meeting inspirational, trailblazing women in Asia from different fields of change-making. I am constantly energised by the wisdom of Women of the Future founder, Pinky Lilani.

Through this community of missional women, sponsors, and supporters, I've had the opportunity to collaborate in discussions for solution creation in the impact space and learned valuable knowledge and wisdom from other leaders.

I had an opportunity to start two more businesses through The Collective Asia and The Smart Concierge.

Following my deep reflection and learning about what can really move the poverty needle, I committed to creating jobs through entrepreneurship.

Since the establishment of my second for-profit brand in 2018, I've had the honour of working with over 30 talented individuals from the Philippines, Indonesia, and Singapore. These exceptional individuals have been instrumental in building our brands, all of which are dedicated to helping others build their wealth and legacy. The legacy they can start now? Outrageous generosity.

20% of the businesses' net profits support the International Justice Mission, Generations–Home, Alpha Singapore, and Ronald McDonald's House of Charities.

I became a wife to Michael, and a mother to André, Mateo and Marco.

My primary role is as a wife, and secondary is being a mother.

I have been very blessed to have the strong support of Michael Blanding, my husband extraordinaire. We met at a volunteering event in 2011 at the Real Life Foundation. He has taught me about outrageous generosity. He is smart, talented, and funny.

My little boys have started learning to spend wisely, save regularly, and give generously. These are not easy lessons for little kids, but I've learned from wise grandparents that we should just keep teaching them through our actions.

​Our second child, Mateo, went to heaven when he was seven months old. His story and legacy have impacted many lives, starting with mine. We write about him on mateoblanding.com.

Women of the Future Awards in South East Asia connected me to women trailblazers who I can learn from.

I was selected as a nominee under the Community Spirit and Public Service category in 2019. Through this nomination, I've been meeting inspirational, trailblazing women in Asia from different fields of change-making. I am constantly energised by the wisdom of Women of the Future founder, Pinky Lilani.

Through this community of missional women, sponsors, and supporters, I've had the opportunity to collaborate in discussions for solution creation in the impact space and learned valuable knowledge and wisdom from other leaders.

I had an opportunity to start two more businesses through The Collective Asia and The Smart Concierge.

Following my deep reflection and learning about what can really move the poverty needle, I committed to creating jobs through entrepreneurship.

Since the establishment of my second for-profit brand in 2018, I've had the honour of working with over 30 talented individuals from the Philippines, Indonesia, and Singapore. These exceptional individuals have been instrumental in building our brands, all of which are dedicated to helping others build their wealth and legacy. The legacy they can start now? Outrageous generosity.

20% of the businesses' net profits support the International Justice Mission, Generations–Home, Alpha Singapore, and Ronald McDonald's House of Charities.

I became a wife to Michael, and a mother to André, Mateo and Marco.

My primary role is as a wife, and secondary is being a mother.

I have been very blessed to have the strong support of Michael Blanding, my husband extraordinaire. We met at a volunteering event in 2011 at the Real Life Foundation. He has taught me about outrageous generosity. He is smart, talented, and funny.

My little boys have started learning to spend wisely, save regularly, and give generously. These are not easy lessons for little kids, but I've learned from wise grandparents that we should just keep teaching them through our actions.

​Our second child, Mateo, went to heaven when he was seven months old. His story and legacy have impacted many lives, starting with mine. We write about him on mateoblanding.com.

Praises for The Giving Back Guidebook

"As a professional for close to 18 years now, I have seen my industry and those adjacent to it evolve into having organizations within it integrate corporate social responsibility into its objectives and advocacies. Yet, what is deemed insufficient is the introspection that an individual needs to come into terms to understand why he/she wants to give and what its significance is to him/her.

The Giving Back Guidebook starts off with that making it a voluntary in every way possible.
Once you find the WHY, you are led to understand the HOW which is approached creatively in this book. One will not realize right away that there are various tangibles and intangibles that one can offer.

I encourage you - whether you are starting as young professional or you are more than halfway through already into your career path - to invest time in exploring "the road to life-transforming generosity."

DBJ

"I never thought giving back can give such a big impact on our life. If you want to start something with your life, this book is for you. It covers all the information that you need to know about giving back in this modern time. Amazing book, Joanna!"

Kristina J.

"Wonderful book for busy professionals seeking to make a positive impact on the world today! Great insights and tips on making a positive impact while juggling family, career, etc. We need more books (and people) like this in the world!”

Alexander Liu

"Thoughtfully written book on the why, what, and how of giving back (especially the how!).

This is a thoughtful and holistic book on giving back. There are plenty of practical tips written with the busy professional in mind and also bears in mind the other compartments of the reader's life. I wish I had known some of these tips 10 years ago!

For people of the Christian faith, this book helps reconcile your faith and your motivations for giving. But even if you're not a person of faith, this book still is packed with useful tips. Highly recommended!"

Christopher Tang

"A book that inspires you to give.

This book is quite a rare find, as it talks about a topic we don't normally read about--giving back. It's easy and inspiring to read, especially as you encounter stories of young professionals who have found ways to serve and give back to society in creative ways.

If you've been wanting to give back purposefully and effectively, but don't know how, this book is definitely for you! The 'Giving Back Guidebook' fills your heart, inspires you, and helps you find meaning and purpose."

Amazon Customer

"A unique book with powerful content!

Giving back is something that we as a society always fail to talk about. Naturally, we are usually at the receiving end, always taking and taking. This book is unique as it really discusses about giving back and it is what other books rarely talk about. Chapter 6 lays out the 8 methods that we should do and they really are doable!

Also, what I love about this book is the fact that it has a summary after every chapter. On top of that, it also provides questions for us to think back and also make us understand better before going to the next chapter. This really helps!"

Tim Hall

"A Fantastic, Interesting Guide On Giving Back To The Community.

A fantastic inspiring book that guides us through the art of giving back to communities. This book is well-written. What's unique about it is that it is the real life experience of the author and it is tested—a complete way of changing your life to be more meaningful. What is more is that this books give us an action plan to follow—on why, what and how to do charitable deeds for the community. It was really a fun and enjoyable read that teaches us how to have a balance in our life."

Rajasingam Sathasivam

"This book is an absolute gem! Here are some reasons why;

1) The tone is very conversational and light. You’ll feel like the author is just talking to you over a cup of coffee.

2) The stories shared are very personal from the author’s experiences and expertise – which makes it really credible and authentic.

3) Every content written is absolutely well-researched.

4) It’s an eye-opener to the realities of giving back. I also love how the author incorporated biblical truths.

5) There’s a summary page at the end of every chapter to refresh your memory as well as reflection questions to ponder.

6) It’s not just purely informational, but also inspirational!

7) The last chapter gives you simple and practical steps to start your own roadmap of your giving journey. From information and inspiration - to driving you to action!

​I’m giving it 11 stars out of 10! Joanna is such an excellent, passionate and profound writer.

My key takeaways – we are indeed hardwired to be generous and we should let our purpose drive our giving. Highly-recommended book!"

Leslie Kabigting

"Book summarises giving back concepts, challenges, purpose and how it will transform ones life. ​Life generosity concept , specific action plan and reflections are articulated very well."

Kindle Customer

"The book uses various stories to transfer the key messages to the reader and give us a follow-up on why, what, and how to give back in the community.

Giving back to the community can take a variety of forms (donations, volunteering, offering your skill, and so on). Depending on your skillset and the unique nature of your community,
you will find many opportunities to help those around you. It gives me some new ideas after reading this book."

David

"I appreciate what this author has done to put together a book about giving that comes from her deep experience.

Make me rethink how I can focus my efforts with more purpose now —
I particularly like the roadmap and the advice about looking critically at my time, relationships, and money as I look to serve and give more meaningfully!​"

MC Tan

"Great! Most of us would like to make a difference and do meaningful things but just don’t know where to start. This is the perfect book to help you get started/continue your giving journey. I find this book really helpful in coming up with a concrete giving plan that is more impactful to the lives others."

Irene Catiter-Gutierrez

"WOKE! The title says it all! W-orkable, O-verarching, K-indling, E-nlightening & Excellently written."

Em Tupaz

"Nice inspiring story that sends an important message of giving back.

I like the author's personal story and her inspiration to get more people to give back. She also provides step-by-step guidance on how to contribute to the community.

Thanks for writing this book to remind us the importance of giving back and not just focusing on earning money."

William W.

"This gives me new perspective on giving back. 

I like this quote in Chapter 3: 'We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give -- Winston Churchill.' This quote best summarizes what this book by Joanna is really about. It gives a refreshing take on what the purpose in life is and how we can transform not only the life of the receiver but also that of a giver.

I enjoyed the various stories that highlights the key messages in each of the 6 chapters in this book. It is relatable and I am able to identify in some of those cases.

I like the 8 steps shared in Chapter 6 the most. It gives a practical 8-step roadmap to starting this journey of giving back. For example, step 4 and 5 gives tips of how to choose the group that you want to support and how to validate that it is a valid organisation.

All in, this book inspires and bring warmth. I enjoyed reading it."

Keith Choy

"A relevant guide to transformational giving!

Most people have the desire to do good and give back to the world, but most tend to fall short on where to start. One key takeaway revealed throughout the wonderful insights shared in this book is how good intentions aren't always enough to truly make an impact.

This book pushed me to confront my own misconceptions about what real generosity looks like and to analyze whether my methods of contribution thus far are really making the impact I hope it does.

The final chapter is the winner, as it is a practical dictionary of tools and information that'll help me to in my giving journey.

If you're someone who's always wanted to give back in a meaningful and lasting way, this book is your easy to follow guide!"

Tasha Kolonas

"Personal, thoughtful and impactful.

There’s a saying “A journey of a thousand miles begin with a single step” If you are looking to make sustainable giving as part of your lifestyle, let this book be your launching pad.

I enjoyed this book because it’s crafted from the author's' personal experiences. Something that everybody can relate to. The book helped me understand that everybody has an innate desire to give back, and you can grow that desire to impact your community in a very efficient way.

By following the practical guide, the author helps you navigate away from bumps and heartaches that may result from unproductive giving efforts… something that a lot of people have experienced today.

This book is definitely a must read and do! Love it."

Eric Tee

Endorsements

The Book's First Edition

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Want to be a stockist? Email us here.