Reciprocity is the practice of giving and receiving.
It’s an equal exchange of giving what you have to give (freely, without hesitation) and taking what is needed (without shame or greed).
A balanced exchange creates a community where everyone thrives.
An imbalance creates problems.
- Too much giving creates a situation where one has power over another.
- Too much receiving reinforces a sense of helplessness.
Every one of us has needs that must be attended to, as well as gifts that can be shared.
Reciprocity is a great equalizer. And, the Women’s Independence Scholarship Program (WISP) is the perfect example of reciprocity in action.
Participants in the Women’s Independence Scholarship Program (WISP) are eligible to receive up to $2000 per semester for tuition, fees, books and education-related living expenses.
They also receive the benefit of joining a supportive community that offers a tremendous amount of encouragement and resources beyond the scholarship dollars.
This receiving is so apparent that scholars might not be aware of what they give.
One of our employees recently completed an intensive master’s degree program, and – life being what it is – faced a series of daunting challenges while she was in school. At a celebratory office lunch she remarked that she took so much encouragement from our scholarship recipients. As they faced challenges and persevered, she felt inspired to do the same.
Afterward, she realized received just as much encouragement from them as we give to them.
Witnessing others triumph over difficulty teaches us that we can do the same, and our scholars lead by example. This is reciprocity in action. We are each giving and receiving in
an equal exchange.
We each give what we have to give, freely and without hesitation.
Doris Buffett, the founder of the Women’s Independence Scholarship Program (WISP) had more money than she could spend in her lifetime. She tried to give it all away and couldn’t. Not everyone has the same financial fortune, but we do have a bounty of other gifts and talents that we can share.
The practice of reciprocity encourages interdependent relationships.
At the Women’s Independence Scholarship Program (WISP) we are partners with our scholars. We are collaborators, working together, alongside one another, to create better futures for everyone.
Scholarship recipients and graduates often say that they hope to be able to give back to others in the way they’ve been given to. We say they already are.
Applications for the Women’s Independence Scholarship Program (WISP) are open now.
