{"id":4387,"date":"2017-11-14T19:54:01","date_gmt":"2017-11-14T19:54:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gophilanthropic.org\/?p=4387"},"modified":"2019-05-03T20:56:05","modified_gmt":"2019-05-03T20:56:05","slug":"celebrating-national-philanthropy-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gophilanthropic.org\/celebrating-national-philanthropy-day\/","title":{"rendered":"Celebrating National Philanthropy Day"},"content":{"rendered":"
By Linda DeWolf, Co-Founder, GoPhilanthropic Foundation<\/p>\n
National Philanthropy Day, November 15th, is a special day set aside to thank and celebrate philanthropists for their many contributions to the world. We at GoPhil want to add our voices to that celebration by recognizing a few of ‘our own,’ all of whom do some pretty incredible things.<\/p>\n
But this might beg a deeper question relating to one\u2019s personal definition of philanthropy and how it might differ, for example, from charity. Most people would say that charity is aimed at relieving the pains of social problems (often more of a band aid approach), whereas philanthropy typically goes ‘upstream’ to try and solve problems more at their root cause<\/strong>. And, that\u2019s something we at GoPhil can get our arms around. Philanthropy is in effect a way of promoting positive change in society. I like this approach because it\u2019s positive, it\u2019s action oriented \u2014 not prescriptive. In other words, it leaves a world of room for individuals to express their own unique intentions to do good and to make a difference in a way that is most meaningful to them. I also like this definition because it parallels GoPhil\u2019s own practical yet strategic view of philanthropy as active, engaged and collaborative.<\/strong><\/p>\n Another take on philanthropy comes from the Chicago based social entrepreneur Liza Yntema: \u201cYou hone in on the causes that you connect with the most and then within those arenas, put all of your energy, support and skill behind new projects. Not all projects will work. But when they do, it\u2019s a thrill – you learn a ton, hopefully create a positive change, and then move on to the next effort while staying connected to the contacts and friends you have made.\u201d<\/p>\n A perfect blend of these various approaches to philanthropy is exemplified by GoPhil Community members Peggy and Brian. Right after their recent GoPhil journey to Guatemala in July 2017, they found themselves so moved by what they learned and saw that they felt compelled to issue a matching campaign to their friends<\/strong> in order to raise funds for a special organization they visited, Centro Maya<\/a><\/strong>, which provides services for the disabled in a rural setting near Lake Atitlan. Within a few weeks they amazed us, and themselves. As they shared, \u201cWe were very grateful for the outpouring of support from our network of friends to our matching campaign. Their level of generosity, support and interest far surpassed all our expectations.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Another great example of active, engaged and collaborative philanthropy is Robin and Bob. Bob notes: \u201cWe did what we knew best, which is to bring ourselves as well as our resources to bear on programs that we felt passionately about. With oversight from GoPhil we have implemented two successful matching grant initiatives with partner NGOs.<\/strong> We watched as these organizations leveraged the opportunity to draw in many new donors\u2014especially small donors and visiting school groups \u2014 and multiplied the fundraising. Many of these donors were also new to GoPhil and the broader mission, creating a wonderful win-win-win from what started out as a very simple idea.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
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