The word philanthropist is intimidating. Maybe it’s all the syllables or letters that scares us. It’s easy to say “I volunteer”, “I donate time and money”, and “I believe in this cause with everything I got”, so why can’t we say “I am a philanthropist” without hesitation? We saw in the “I am a Philanthropist” video (the shorter one) people just like you and I say those four words with conviction and little doubt in themselves. But those four words, “I am a philanthropist”, are very strong and can have different meanings to different people. And while the people in the video believe it, do we? We brought up briefly in class about charity and philanthropy. As we discussed in class, there is a distinction between charity and philanthropy. And this distinction can give us a better picture of who is a philanthropist.
I am certain we can all say we have given to charity at some point in time whether it was giving money to someone from the Salvation Army outside a store during the Christmas season or donating a few cents to CHOW. But does that constitute philanthropy? The difference between charity and philanthropy revolves around a certain mindset. Charity is “the kindly or sympathetic disposition to aid the needy as a result of deep feeling or understanding of their misery or suffering” (acton.org) and Philanthropy is “goodwill toward one's fellow men especially as expressed through active efforts to promote human welfare” (acton.org). These two are different concepts but often we blur the lines and thus takes away from both acts of good. According the an article written by Karen Woods, “philanthropy, for all its good intentions, does not necessarily imply a personal connection with the needy person--though it can and sometimes does.” This is the prime reason that we get confused between philanthropy and charity. Take the example of Warren E. Buffet (as mentioned in the article as well in our class). When Buffet transferred $31 billion to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, he increased the foundation’s potential to make a big difference in the world. But the amount doesn’t really matter when trying to figure out why this action can be considered philanthropic. The gift of $31 billions dollars were given in order to help the Gates to expand their outreach to as many people as they possibly can. When we donate a dollar to the Salvation Army representative we are thinking about a temporary fix. Will the donation help along the way, yes, but why did we donate that dollar? We did it to help the person we all see on the streets trying to survive. Did your contribution help? It must have helped someone along the way (or did it?). But did you donate to help people or help your conscience? I will be the first person to admit that every time I pass the Salvation Army representatives I feel guilted into giving money. It’s hard to ignore. I might have a full wallet but I will only throw in some of my stray change while thinking about how much I donated to a similar cause just days earlier. Now, I swear that is not the mindset I have at all times, but it comes up often in similar situations. Personally I understand the need for money and time for several organizations, but is it “pity money” or money that was given solely to ensure that the mission of the receiving organization lives on. That is the problem many of us considered when we watched the PINK Fracking video in class and at home. Can a large donation truly be considered philanthropy if the person doesn’t acknowledge the mission of the organization? This question then brings us to consider who is a philanthropist?
To quote Buffet in a letter to his son, I think we can learn a lot about philanthropy: “A couple of thoughts (but not directives): Focus the new funds and your energy on a relatively few activities in which [your foundation] HGB can make an important difference. Concentrate your resources on needs that would not be met without your efforts. Conversely, avoid making small contributions to the multitude of worthwhile activities that have many possible funders and that would likely proceed without your help. Pay attention to your home community but favor a broader view. Judge programs by how they fit with your goals and their chances for success, not by who makes the request. Expect to make some mistakes; nothing important will be accomplished if you make only “safe” decisions.” These are definitely words that even a poor college student can learn from. Being a philanthropist means you are taking into account where your resources are going. I don’t know about all of you, but all my money is going into tuition so monetary donations are not my forte but I do give a lot of my time to the community. Thanks to the Public Service Learning Community I was able to visit many of the organizations that provide amazing services in the Binghamton community but found I felt more fulfilled when I focused on helping one or two organizations daily and to the best of my abilities. For me, education and caring for people who need a little help is very important. This is why I have decided to limit the time I dedicate for volunteering to two organizations on a weekly basis this semester. Now, to go back to the “I am a Philanthropist” video, we discussed if everyone was in it was truly a philanthropist and why. We could identify why most of the people in the video were considered a philanthropist except the magazine man. He bought the newsletter to support homeless people every week but could he considered a philanthropist? To the magazine man (I only call him that because it is catchy), his weekly contribution, in his mindset, was helping his cause and was the optimal way for him to get involved. One thing I have noticed about who we can call a philanthropist is that we can not judge any persons long withstanding contribution based on our perceptions of people. If the intention is there and the intention is focused then we all have the potential to become philanthropists. That why I think I can one day say , “I am a philanthropist”.
Link to the article I referenced: http://www.acton.org/pub/commentary/2006/07/12/charity-vs-philanthropy
Shanna, I really appreciated the well rounded perspective that you brought to this topic. You really embraced the point of view of a “poor college student,” and made the idea of giving time and money a more relatable feat to conquer. That being said, it was intimidating in class to consider myself a philanthropist when I find myself to most heavily align with the “magazine man,” which I now realize isn’t a bad thing. While that man’s dollar may have made a very minor dent in a society dominating issue, his enthusiasm and proud intent of the donation is what makes him a philanthropist. Regardless of the magazine man’s initial purpose of purchasing that magazine, he spreads his passion for this cause, which he truly believes in, to all of those around him. His enthusiasm was clearly displayed by his participation in this project, and it is the individuals who share their passion that spread philanthropy.
ReplyDeleteI viewed the concept of philanthropy as an extremely personal process until last night at the Public Service and Learning Community (PSLC) meeting where a man who benefitted from the program run at the center for employment opportunities (CEO) spoke about his assisted transition to independence. For those of you who don’t know, CEO is a national organization whose main goal is to aid those whom return from jail or prison with re-entry into the workforce. While this was originally an organization whose mission I supported, I left yesterday’s meeting feeling inspired to give more of myself to a population that is often overlooked. I would consider the man who has been out of prison for 4 years now and is speaking of his journey to be a philanthropist the same way the woman who helped him get to this point is. Maybe my perspective of the term “philanthropist” will change as we move through the semester, but right now I would like to think of it as a mentally, a lifestyle, and a passion to make a change.
Thanks for your kind words Lindsey! I felt that same type of anxiety when I felt that there were actions I have taken that aligned with the actions of the magazine man as well. I think that we all have an "ideal" vision of what philanthropy looks like and while we think it doesn't matter, but it does! Who do we use as an example to strive towards? Bill Gates? Carnegie? I think that we should start redefining the people in our lives who are philanthropists. These days I think of my art teacher who recently retired. She is a woman of humor and strength who was endowed several artistic skills that she is now teaching to girls in disadvantage in Newburgh that have no clue how to fend for themselves. This is a woman who put up thousands of hours and dollars to support people struggling in her community.
DeleteAnother example I think of is one you brought up. When the guest came to talk to us about his personal journey I was touched as well. And I love the fact that you bring up the fact that he himself works to help the cause that once helped him. He's a person whose image I will draw upon often as we go through the course because he and the CEO show me how they believe in progress and believe in people that are often looked over by society and us. I think one of the many things I love about philanthropy. There is a reach that is far beyond what we originally are able to understand but it is not always instant. There are so many people that have a story and have different needs. Every time we overlook such a reality we are not able to recognize the potential we have in impacting someone else's life for the better. But to understand that potential we need to understand how we can impact someone's life using any and all the resources that are at our disposal. This semester we have the unique opportunity to give away a grant that can truly make a difference. But I hope that while we are aware of the impact of a grant, we are also able to create a similar connection with the organizations we will give the grant to as we did with the CEO. I think having that spark that you allude to is extremely important to remember. But with the many different personalities in our class, I wonder how each of us will debate for our organizations. It will be quiet interesting to see what we will do and what we will gain from the next weeks of collaboration.
Shanna, you discussed the point that many people do not view themselves as a philanthropist because the word philanthropist can have “different meanings for different people.” I think that one main reason that many people are intimidated by calling themselves a philanthropist is due to the way that philanthropy is described in secondary schools. Most people take a course on United States history in high school, and many of these courses include a class or two dedicated to the “philanthropists” of the industrial age. These philanthropists are emphasized as being powerful and superrich. In my AP US History course, we did a role playing project where each person in the class researched and pretended to be a philanthropist such as Carnegie, Morgan, Rockefeller, or Vanderbilt. Through education, the idea of philanthropists having to be mega rich is engraved into the minds of many.
ReplyDeleteHowever, philanthropy isn’t necessarily reserved for the uber rich. The definition of philanthropy that you suggest in your post allows for more people with open minds to define themselves as philanthropists. If one is devoted to promoting the general welfare (to quote the US Constitution), then he/she is right to consider him or herself a philanthropist. Philanthropy doesn’t require exorbitant amounts of money, philanthropy is a mindset and a lifestyle. By integrating this idea of philanthropy into the education system rather than the super-rich concept, perhaps more students will grow up to be philanthropists.
Shanna, I think you made some great points. When we first started the class, I felt very intimidated by the title of a philanthropist. When I thought of a philanthropist, I would think of Bill Gates and Warren Buffet. I never really thought that I could consider myself a philanthropist until we started to watch the videos "I am a philanthropist". In the video, all kinds of people were represented as philanthropists, whether it was a wealthy business man, a child, or the "magazine man" as you mentioned. After I saw the video, it occurred to me that anyone could be a philanthropist and it was not all about giving just money. Up until that point, I had considered myself just a volunteer because I mostly give my time to various organizations. I also did not think that I could be considered a philanthropist because I am still so young, and many philanthropists that I knew of were older and wealthier people.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with you on the point that intention is a large part of being a philanthropist. I believe that to be a philanthropist, you have to be passionate about what you are contributing to, which brings up your point of charity versus philanthropy. Anyone can write a check during the holiday season, but that is not necessarily an act of philanthropy. An act of philanthropy requires intent and passion and is all about wanting to make a difference with your contribution of time or money, whether is be big or small.
I really agree with your opinion in this post. I think that part of the issue with the term "philanthropy" is that we've started associating it with bigger-than-life celebrities who brag about their charitable efforts. This makes a lot of us want to distinguish ourselves as different than them, because we lack their financial ability to give or the public eye to do it in. I think the article you referenced really expands on that, and your whole point on what exactly is the distinction between charity and philanthropy.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I think the definitions have been confused over the past few decades. As we discussed in class, charity is the act of giving, which is more commonly found among celebrities trying to be perceived well in the public eye. However, simply being part of charity isn't nearly as interesting-sounding that being a philanthropist. Yet being a philanthropist requires a strong intent behind your giving. It means having a desire to do good and make good. Many celebrities lack this, and donate because it is seen as a good thing. Yet why do we as a society call them philanthropists?
I really like your point in your post. I think the difference between charity and philanthropy needs to be more wildly known, so people aren't so intimidated by calling themselves what they are--a philanthropist.
Am I a Philanthropist Reply:
ReplyDeleteShanna, I agree that the word “Philanthropy” turns a lot of people off. It’s a very “stuffy” word and seems to take away from the good that the institution itself produces. The ideas produced seeing and hearing ordinary people like myself say “I am a philanthropist” I found to be both moving and empowering.
What a great illustration you made in you post about how we give. Yeah, I had to ask myself, “how much of my giving is “shame-based? As you pointed out in the uncomfortable feeling produced by the people soliciting outside stores. Did I give because I wanted to or because I was afraid of how other people would perceive me?
Philanthropy seems to imply a purpose and intent. Philanthropy has a very noble and benevolent ring to it and yet it seems that even a robber-baron can (and many have) become a “philanthropist”. I remember a time not too long ago when Bill Gates was seen as anything but benevolent. Just ask any of his competitor in the 80’s and 90’s. Certainly the countless cases the United States Justice Department has brought against both Microsoft and Mr. Gates personally would give rise to question his character. Purpose and intent are the result of one’s character. Don’t get me wrong, I believe that people can change and become better people. Some people may even have a significant event that precipitated a sudden and immediate need to “change”. I applaud anyone who makes a conscious decision to make the world a better place and no one in world history has done so on such a grand scale as Bill Gates. I’m just glad he is stopping the spread of Malaria, and helping improve the world and not preventing young entrepreneurs from entering the marketplace using unfair and unlawful trade practices.
It is unconscionable that companies would profit from unjustifiably aligning themselves with causes that they have no interest in, much less cause damage to. However, a logical argument could be formulated demonstrating that the causes may be better off having the revenue to do with to further promote their mission than if those “disingenuous” business didn’t participate in contributing funds to the cause at all. It’s really a two edged sword. In this day of worthy and needed causes having funding sources drying up on a constant basis most NPO’s are just happy to get funding.
I am optimistically with you and look forward to the day when we can all say, “I am a philanthropist”.
Really interesting blog, Shanna. Well done!