Each Friday, the another jennifer blog shares stories of those who incorporate philanthropy into their everyday lives – personally and professionally – in a creative and unique way. If you have a story you’d like to share, please contact Jennifer.
The following article is a guest post from Susan L. Axelrod, CFRE, PFR
MOST of us are regular 99%ers, not in the 1% [celebrate your 99%ness, don’t envy the 1%].
What if you – and every 99%er – chose a cause that speaks to your soul and simply committed to helping create positive impact around that cause? [strengthen children, save animals, celebrate art, protect our environment, empower community, ensure good health, end disease, eradicate poverty, promote school sports, stop drunk-driving…YOU name it]
Imagine that.
Now imagine if every one of those people considered her or himself a Philanthropist, fully committed to and supporting that cause. There would be a slow but sure positive impact rolling like gentle waves across the earth, a transformation of mind then heart then influence.
Right now, this is face people think of when asked ‘Who is a Philanthropist?’
As a Philanthropy Advisor, my chief aim is to make this face the one YOU think of when you’re asked the same question:
New Philanthropy Movement
To accomplish this world transformation, I started a Philanthropy Movement called ‘Regular People Becoming Philanthropists’ to modify people’s thinking. I encourage people to share why/how/what they’re doing as philanthropists to inspire others to join in the fun! I invite you to join by simply ‘liking’ the FB page: Regular People Becoming Philanthropists.
I received continued inspiration recently from a quote on page 39 in Elie Wiesel’s new little book, Open Heart, about his emergency heart surgery. It was like the burst I get from the ‘energy nugget’ I bought recently at a health store [1000 MCG of B-12]: “As I face the gravity of this moment, I feel the need to search my soul.”
When I read those words, I thought to myself: will it take open-heart surgery for me to search my soul to know if I have lived as I want to live, done what I wanted to do, helped those I want to help, and create a meaningful and lasting legacy? What matters to me?
What will it take for you to search your soul to find out what matters most to you, so much that you commit to it and take action leading to positive change? (Read the Formula to Inspire)
Becoming a Philanthropist is simply showing your love of humankind. It’s important to volunteer, too, but we need to remember that charitable organizations run on money, like all businesses. You can choose any level of donation and still be considered a Philanthropist.
Here are 3 easy steps you can take to transform yourself…..today:
3 Steps to Becoming a Philanthropist
- Select a charity that is meaningful to you, that you feel passionate about, and that you want to impact.
- Figure out how much you can donate monthly to that charity. It can be a single dollar, $10 a month, $25 a month, even $100 a month…any amount that is manageable for you (would you really miss $10 a month on your credit card?).
- Contact the charity and let them know you want to make this monthly commitment, discuss with them how you can make this happen (suggestions at the bottom of the Philanthropy Movement page on my website).
YOU ARE NOW A PHILANTHROPIST. [repeat 3-step cycle as often as you like]
Next time someone asks you what you do tell them, “I’m a Philanthropist.”
Susan lives her work as a Philanthropy Advisor, essentially acting as a change-agent for good. She helps people understand that everyone has the opportunity to create a meaningful and lasting legacy. You do not have to be rich; you just have to want to make positive impact.
