Philanthropy is defined as the altruistic concern for
human welfare and advancement, usually manifested by donations of money,property, or work to needy persons, by endowment of institutions of learning and hospitals, and by generosity to other socially useful purposes.
This can be an intimidating definition. In order to explain it better, we have broken it down into two categories; giving and volunteering.
The definition that dictionary.com provide seems to be clear cut; the problem is that philanthropy covers so many areas, that one sentence is not enough. There are many aspects to philanthropy. One of the two categories mentioned above is giving. Giving in itself holds different meanings. Are you the one giving? Are you the one receiving? Does the giver have good intent? All of these questions are standards that philanthropists ask.
We also mentioned volunteering. In a way, volunteering can fall under giving as your are giving time, but volunteering allows the giver to have a closer connection to those receiving. And again, those questions are asked; what was the volunteer's intent? were they looking to look good?
The bottom line is that philanthropy has not true definition. Defining philanthropy is like defining beauty; it is in the eye of the beholder. So give it a shot; what does philanthropy mean to YOU?
We have all seen them; the
courageous volunteers facing the cold weather, ringing a Christmas bell for
your dollar donation. With every dollar they receive, they get one step closer
to being able to feed those less fortunate on Christmas Day. It has been that
way since 1891 when Salvation Army Captain Joseph McFee placed an iron kettle
next to the Oakland Ferry Landing in California. Captain McFee wanted to feed
100 people on Christmas, but didn't know how to fun his goal. He then thought
of when he was a sailor in Liverpool, England. At Liverpool’s Stage Landing,
there was a large, iron kettle called “Simpson’s Pot” where incoming sailors
would throw change to feed the poor. Thanks to the “Simpson’s Pot”, Captain
McFee was able to fulfill his goal of feeding 1,000 people that year.
Now, let’s be honest. More often
than not, we pass by the volunteers, give them a shy smile and move on with our
day. But should we not pay more attention to the brave people trying to give
back, or better yet, be one of the brave? The Salvation Army has made it very
easy to become part of their team, including the Online Red Kettle. It is super
easy to set up and can be a great way to give back! Check it out and start your own kettle!
Thank you so much for tuning into
our blog! Remember to comment, subscribe, and in the words of Captain McFee, “Keep
the Pot Boiling.”
