So, who's a philanthropist anyway?
Chris Anderson (TED) has a new book out, and I have thoughts even before reading it (all good things, all good things...)
Chris Anderson, the curator of the TED conference has a new book out, Infectious Generosity, and from his appearance on Dan Harris’ Ten Percent Happier podcast, it sounds like a thoughtful read. Once I have read the book, and try out the AI tool he and his team have come up with to inspire people to tap into their generosity mindsets, I’ll write a more in depth review.
What struck me while listening to the podcast is that Chris’ thoughts on giving provides a split from a particularly present-day discussion in the think-o-sphere: many writers seem to approach philanthropy, as a concept, in a negative way by default. You don’t have to google very far to come to some examples of think pieces arguing philanthropists are just seeking absolution for poor business practices, are influencing yet another realm of power (even though they control who is in power too!) or are ruining things for everyone. More often than I would like to think, these criticisms are well-deserved (does the name Sackler sound familiar?), and in a world in which more and more gets influenced by fewer people, this scrutiny is perhaps one last vestige of pluralism.
As anyone who has worked in philanthropy, or rather fundraising, for any length of time knows that this criticism wrongly positions philanthropy as a hobby of the Ultra-High-Net-Worth. Actually, the hyper-agency that comes with great wealth can be leveraged to do a lot of good (one example: the billions given to support research into devastating diseases? Pretty good for humanity overall, right?). But what Chris gets so right about philanthropy is that it is a human universal, expressed in many ways, by people across demographics and socio-economic circumstances.
As a fundraiser it is very tempting to fall prey to a sort of “wealth-bias,” a pre-occupation with our own interpretation of who might be a donor, that make us miss or ignore the philanthropist next door.
And boy are there examples of people whose philanthropic natures flew below the radar.
Robert Morin, a librarian at the University of New Hampshire left $4M to the school, after a life spent loving his work in his alma mater’s library, and Fritos and diet cokes for breakfast.
Lois Kirschenbaum was a former switchboard operator who left an astonishing $1.7M to a variety of performing art organizations.
While Ms. Kirschenbaum and Mr. Morin’s stories are unique in their own delightful ways, they also show us that giving is not just a billionaire’s pursuit, and that a very generous person does not have a “look.”
So, what’s a well-minded fundraiser to do?
First off, don’t discount people because they don’t give of major gift donor vibes. Sure, ability to give is a pre-requisite to a gift happening, but the DESIRE to give is the more important factor. If someone signals that they are interested in your mission, involve them in a meaningful way.
Secondly, like Chris Anderson articulates in his interview with Dan Harris, what causes that tingly sensation of happiness that comes after giving is unique to each person. We can’t know what that is without some thoughtful questions, and perhaps some experimentation.
So, be open to who could be a donor, and then, listen to what they tell you.
You might discover that you’ve been living right next door to a philanthropist all along.