Transformational Philanthropy
Did you know November 15th was National Philanthropy Day?
You might ask…what is that? When did that start? It is a day to honor philanthropists and their many contributions that make their community, state, nation, country, and the world a better place, and the day was created by the Association of Fundraising Professionals in 1985.
To provide a little background, the word philanthropy comes from Latin and Greek philanthropia which gives us kindliness, humanity, and love to mankind. From this, we take the philo (tending to, fond of) and join antropos meaning mankind or human beings. There are instances of philanthropy that can overlap with instances of charity. The difference is that charity relieves the pains of social problems, whereas philanthropy attempts to solve those problems at their root causes. Seems to be an important difference in the classification of organizations we support.
I learned about the concept of Transformational Philanthropy in 2010 through my training with The Heritage Institute. It is the process of helping the donor articulate what their contributions to the causes and organizations they support mean to them. Identifying the meaning behind the check and the passion that sparks the impact they want to make in this world.
We are coming into the month of December when one-third of annual gifts are made. And if you are like me, I have a few year-end gifts that I will be deciding on. My challenge to you is to take the time to complete these three steps to help you make your next gift TRANSFORMATIONAL for you! The definition of a transformational gift is a gift that means as much or more to the donor as it does to the organization…no matter the dollar amount.
Are you ready? Step one is to make a list of the causes are you passionate about. If you could solve any issues in the world, what would they be? What do you feel are the most important causes to support?
The second step is to research all of the opportunities available to make a difference in your areas of passion locally, nationwide, or in whatever geographical location you feel is most important. And then narrow down the list to determine what cause(s) and organization(s) best fit your ideal way to contribute and support.
And most importantly, AFTER you have made the gift…ask yourself, WHAT WAS IMPORTANT TO ME ABOUT MAKING THAT GIFT TODAY? WHAT DIFFERENCE AM I LOOKING TO MAKE IN THIS WORLD? WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO ME TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THIS GIFT? DOES IT SUPPORT MY FAMILY’S PURPOSE?
I hope by adding these 3 steps to your giving process you realize more meaningful and transformational gifts. Please contact me to share your experience. I would love to hear all about it!
