Becoming a philanthropist - someone who provides time, money and / or reputation for charitable initiatives - can be a very rewarding experience. Reflect on well-known benefactors, such as Oprah Winfrey, who donates millions of dollars to charities.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Making a Plan
Step 1. Determine what's important to you
There are various reasons why you may want to become a philanthropist. You have probably set yourself certain goals that you hope to achieve by doing charitable work. Think about the things you value and why they are important before entering the world of solidarity.
- For what reasons do you intend to show your generosity? Are you motivated by your religious faith, by instances that belong to your culture, out of a sense of moral duty or for some other reason? Think carefully about the moral beliefs that guide your desire to become a benefactor. This way you will be more incentivized to donate time and money.
- What result do you expect? Do you want to help those in need? Do you want to help find a cure for a certain disease? Think about how you could offer your help and why you intend to do so.
- There are tons of charities out there that need money. The first step to becoming a philanthropist is to identify what is important to you and where you want to focus your attention.
Step 2. Look for infrastructure problems
Many people believe that altruism and solidarity simply consist in donating money to a cause. It is not about that. True philanthropists identify the most important problems in infrastructure and try to change that. Therefore, it will be useful for your purpose to adopt a creative spirit, aimed at solving problems.
- Let's say you want to improve access to medical care. The most obvious way would be to build more hospitals. However, there may be little visible difficulties that prevent people from accessing health care. For example, there may be no way to get to a hospital in some places. How can this problem be solved? A contribution could be made to the construction of roads in rural areas of the country. Access to public transport could be extended. Software could be developed that can address certain problems without patients being forced to travel. There are numerous ways of exploiting already known innovative systems in order to find solutions to fundamental problems.
- In addition to donating time and money to charity, it identifies how the underlying power systems can be changed. Fund leaders and political campaigns that support particular causes. Try writing letters and making phone calls to address issues surrounding how resources are allocated to poorer areas.
Step 3. Struggle for greater autonomy
You should always be looking for a solution that makes the realities destined to benefit from the aid given by the people more self-sufficient. It is not enough to blindly donate your money to a cause. The issues that give rise to problems in the world must be examined.
- For example, suppose your goal is to fight poverty. You could make a donation to canteens and homeless shelters, or find a long-term solution by investing in education. In this way, you will be able to offer your contribution to the development of usable skills in the world of work among the population groups that need adequate training.
- Try to create an organization that allows the most disadvantaged people to acquire professional skills that introduce them to the world of work. For example, you could ask some teachers for help and start a free vocational training program in a community where people's incomes are very low.
Step 4. Learn from entrepreneurs
A benefactor has a lot to learn from entrepreneurs. If you want to invest your efforts better in activities aimed at promoting well-being or destined to create self-sufficient realities, know that there are enormous advantages to acting with an entrepreneurial as well as philanthropic spirit.
- Business people and philanthropists alike spend a lot of time gathering ideas and solving problems. Plus, they work together and motivate each other. It wouldn't be a bad idea to read some self-help books written by these kinds of people. It could teach you to develop an entrepreneurial perspective and help you in your philanthropic endeavors.
- Innovation is the key to philanthropy. You will have to be constantly on the lookout for new ways to solve problems. It may be helpful to reach out to a CEO or businessman and ask them for advice on how to develop an entrepreneurial spirit.
Part 2 of 3: Living with a Philanthropic Attitude
Step 1. Volunteer
Most people associate philanthropy with donating money. However, it is equally important to donate your time to causes that deserve it. What's more, in addition to dedicating your time, you must also financially help organizations and charities.
- Look for new opportunities to volunteer. You can find charities on the Internet offering volunteer opportunities, or take a look at flyers and notices around the city asking for help.
- Try to follow an organization regularly. While it's an act of generosity to help Caritas around Christmas, remember that most non-profit and charities need a helping hand all year round. See which of them organizes training programs for volunteers and if they need human resources for the services they provide. Check which places need volunteering. There is probably a particular area where it is lacking. Ask an organization you've been eyeing if they need additional help and volunteers to secure their services.
Step 2. Involve friends and family
In order to live in the name of selflessness, it is essential to teach others the importance of charity. Talk to friends and family and tell them about the causes you are advocating. Invite them to contribute at certain events and give money to charity. Learn and keep them updated on the most important causes. Use social networks to your advantage. Post articles and links shared by charities that encourage others to join and follow your cause.
Step 3. Raise awareness
In addition to dedicating your time to a cause, also try to spread awareness on certain topics. Often, it is possible to contribute by joining an awareness campaign. In this way, more people will be incentivized to donate money to a good cause.
Use your creativity to create and spread awareness about a certain area. Often the use of social networks can have a phenomenal effect on raising people's awareness. For example, the "ice bucket challenge" (launched by the ALS Association, the US association against ALS) was a viral campaign on social networks, in which participants poured a bucket of ice water over their heads to help fundraising. for research on ALS, a disease that affects nerve cells, leaving patients with it paralyzed. It has enjoyed widespread success raising millions of dollars, while at the same time informing the public about this disease
Part 3 of 3: Donate Money
Step 1. Evaluate the charities
Not all associations in this sector are the same. When deciding how much time and money to donate, think carefully about which organizations are operating most effectively.
- You have to support the causes that have a real impact. Find out which charities do something concrete and which don't. Look for tangible results that have real-life consequences. The most serious organizations offer a list of the sectors to which the funds raised are destined. For example, look at the sums used for the lawsuits they defend and what is left for running the organization.
- See if it is possible to verify the usefulness of the aid. In other words, how many people are actually supported by a charity? What kind of services are provided? For such a body to be reliable, it must be able to provide real statistics instead of just telling good stories.
Step 2. Contribute to the causes you care about most
Sometimes it may make more sense to go deeper than to broaden your reach. So, don't hesitate to make donations to a smaller number of organizations as well. Your money will be used and will have a greater impact. Focus on just a few laudable associations instead of donating a small amount of money to one or two causes.
Step 3. Review your choice annually
Reevaluate the cause you have chosen to support every year. Charities are subject to change and sometimes change for the worse. Review the destination of your donations annually. Watch out for infrastructure transformations that can change the way charities use funds raised. Stay up to date by reading news about them and keep an eye on the board of directors. The changes in management could impose a new course on the institution in the choice of values to be followed that is not appreciated by donors.
