Advance Your Career as an Intentional Philanthropist

Being an Intentional Philanthropist Is Easy and Has Returns: Do Something Every Day That Makes a Difference to Someone Else and See Your Life Change.

“The greatest contributions are the ones you leave behind…”, is a line from famed country music singer and songwriter Alan Jackson’s hit song, “Small Town Southern Man.” It’s a sentiment echoed by those who have been successful, especially entrepreneurs. I’ve heard many of them say, “…to those that much has been given, much is expected.” I’d say regardless of your socioeconomic status, everyone should do something every day that makes a difference to someone else simply because it is amazing to be able to do it.

What I’ve come to realize is that it really doesn’t matter where you are at in your life and its journey, you can give back and make a difference no matter what. Think about all the little ways you could do something for someone else. You could offer to watch a neighbor’s child/children so they could have a night off or out. You could mow your neighbor’s lawn, rake their leaves or shovel their driveway. You could take a meal to someone for no other reason than you simply wanted to. You might visit a pediatric ward to play games or simply visit with ill children. You could donate your “already read” magazines to a nursing home, hospital or domestic abuse shelter. The lists of things you could do every day is simply endless.

Three things that I personally try to do each day is write a piece of personal correspondence to someone, say a kind word or compliment another or pick up a piece of garbage placing it in its proper receptacle. By doing these three simple things each day, I am making a difference in the world.

Recently, I learned from a new friend about an activity a friend of his does. It seems his friend read that one of the most cited reasons people who are contemplating suicide don’t go through with the act is because someone paid attention to them, noticed them, smiled and waved to them. His friend learned the simple act of smiling and waving prevented people from taking their own lives. So, he began waving and smiling at everyone he meets recognizing that he might be saving a life, or lives, on a daily basis. A small gesture with potentially a huge benefit.

Throughout my life, I’ve heard many stories from people who have simply been doing something for someone else and saw their own life changed. Sue Ling Gin is a perfect example of this. I asked Sue how she came up with the idea to pitch to the airlines that she could prepare the food for their customers (note this was when food was served on planes). She said she didn’t pitch the idea. Sue then shared that even when she didn’t have money she volunteered to help others. At an event for which she was volunteering, she was seated next to a man who happened to be the head of one of the major airlines. As they began chatting she shared that she had a catering business and voila – Flying Food Fare was born! When you talk with Sue she quickly shares that if she had not been giving back or doing something for someone else, in this case helping a cause she cared about with her time, she would never have had the business model she has today. As a side note, her company now prepares food for all the Starbucks stores in this country.

As you might suspect, I believe it is important to give back! Many people believe that what you give back will return to you tenfold. I’m not sure if that is true or not, but I do know that giving (and in some cases receiving) are two important components to a successful life. When you look outside yourself and your circumstances, your perspective, and ultimately, your life can change. By giving back and practicing the “power of three” in your life now — in other words doing three things a day to give back to others — you will witness how your life is changing, too.

Facts About Giving

• In the United States, there was $410 billion donated in 2017 — an increase for the eighth year in a row — basically more than a $1.12 billion a day is donated.
• Individuals accounted for 70% of all donations made in 2017. When you add bequests and donations from foundations controlled by families, this number jumps to 87%.
• Corporate giving (corporations and corporate foundations) in 2017 represented only 5% of the total charitable donations.
• Giving by individuals increased by $14.27 billion over 2016 for a growth rate of 5.2%.
• There are an estimated 1.6 million charities registered in the United States.
• 63 million people volunteer annually which is 25% of the adult population valued at $24.14 per hour.

This post is an excerpt from Lisa’s book, “The Power of Three: How to achieve your goals by simply doing three things a day.” 

Lisa coaches people to achieve their goals through her methodology of simply doing three things a day. She is an internationally recognized expert on philanthropy, charitable giving and transformational change in both the personal and professional arenas. A leading figure in the American nonprofit sector, her deep experience with fundraising and the nonprofit sector, groundbreaking research on giving patterns and influential ideas on transformational philanthropy have led her to become one of the most trusted philanthropic advisors in the nation, making numerous appearances on TV and radio. Learn more about Lisa.