What do you do if you want to make a meaningful difference in the philanthropy sector as a beginner?

An orthogonal perspective: I would be careful about “passion” I’d say focusing on what you are best at, is time better spent. Find ways to apply those skills to impact opportunities. If you are struggling to find what you are best at, then I would rotate every x amount of time through projects that have very different skill requirements.

Meaningful philanthropic contributions aren’t limited to donating funds. Many smaller non-profits operate through the tireless efforts of heart-centred volunteers. An offer to lend your skills and experience to the org can make a huge difference and get you noticed very quickly as a philanthropist ??

Three things. 1. Be intellectually curious. 2. Think about your own relationship with money, wealth, wealth generation. 3. Consider the difference between charity and philanthropy as practiced today: are you trying to change the world and interested in measuring your impact or are you seeing a need and desiring to meet it out of compassion with few strings attached to your work/giving.

To me the starting point is understanding your place in the communities, issues, and systems around you. This helps you identify where you can learn the most, and have the greatest impact by applying your skills, abilities, networks, and treasure to solving problems and creating opportunities for others.

To make a meaningful difference, consider the impact you can create through your work, organisation, and sector. Your impact is the difference you make in people's lives, the community, or the environment. Set your impact purpose, and keep measuring and sharing it. It will make your work a lot more meaningful.

After pinpointing your passion, it's important to establish clear, achievable goals to give your philanthropic journey direction and a way to gauge success. Begin with small, specific objectives that ladder up to larger ambitions. For example, if education is your focus, you might start by funding supplies for a local classroom, gradually scaling up to more ambitious projects like sponsoring scholarships or constructing educational facilities. Setting these incremental goals not only structures your efforts but also allows for tangible milestones, making your impact visible and motivating continued commitment and growth in your philanthropic endeavors.

With your passion clearly defined, identify WHAT do you want to do and WHEN do you want to do it. Make a list of related thoughts and identify any known questions or challenges you might encounter. Then, create a list of SMART goals (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) that you will use to evaluate the feasibility of your passion. Sketch out a plan that outlines the steps you need to take to reach each goal. What resources, skills and support do you need? Start with something simple to gain momentum, and then create a realistic project plan to achieve your outcomes.

Having a made up mind, is a superpower. Make sure that YOU are prepared for everything that's going to be thrown at YOU when YOU make the decision to believe in YOU. People will look YOU in the face and tell YOU that YOU are not who YOU are, and YOU have to believe YOU more than YOU believe anybody. So when you are called to be someone who gives back. Don't let anyone change YOUR mind when YOUR "calling" calls... It called YOU for a reason. Listen to the voice inside of YOU. I hope YOU take honor in realizing how YOUR gifts can change the world.

Research is essential. Be sure the mission, vision, and values are in alignment with your personal objectives. In addition, keep an open perspective into HOW you will achieve your long-term goals. There are many ways to serve: Some in the nonprofit sector, and others in education, research or with for-purpose companies. Don't overwhelm yourself in the process of discovery, but rather create a roadmap to achieve your personal WHY that is realistic and achievable. Set a time limit for this phase and recognize you may need to do additional research again after the prioritization phase.

One of the best ways to learn how to make a meaningful difference in philanthropy is to learn from the communities you are seeking to support. They have firsthand experience and they have a good sense for what is most needed.

Community engagement also helps in identifying locally available resources that would contribute to the cause, that community is not empty of resources, ideas and solutions

In our African context, we often overlook valuable fundraising opportunities by not engaging our families and friends in the causes we champion. The community around us can significantly enhance our efforts by contributing their time, talents, and treasures to support our initiatives.

Seek out credible grass roots organisations that are working at the front edge of social and environmental issues, that is the truth you must seek out. Don’t only speak to the charities that work to help them, speak to the people they help. Just listen and really understand - those are the first steps in any helpful philanthropic act. Get yourself really informed and then understand fully where you can help.

I am encouraged by the growing trend of collaboration across individual, foundation and corporate philanthropists so they can unite around more generous support for trusted organizations delivering impact on critical causes. The very nature of this thread underscores how much technology now centers in so many facets of human endeavors - and I’m particularly enthusiastic about the growing field of “Cyberphilanthropy” that is directing funds to causes that expand cyberdefense resources for under-served communities and organizations and that bring the benefits of the digital information revolution to a wider array of people. #cyberphilanthropy #cybercivildefense #stopalgorithmicbias

I remember sitting in a meeting right after I graduated college and thinking why didn't I follow my dream and go into nonprofit work. I had done fundraising since I was 8 years old and loved it! But didn't think I could make a career out of it. So I didn't. Until I did! I realized that I could follow my passion and still do my 9 - 5 job. I could volunteer and explore the industry. I realized that I could go to school and learn more so that when the opportunity come up, I would be ready. I served on the board for a small nonprofit and when they needed hands-on help, I was there. And because I had gone to school, my expertise helped save the organization. So I became part of the team. And it has been a delightful ride.

Volunteering is the quickest way to engage and learn. Most nonprofit organizations have limited funding and rely heavily on passionate volunteers to bring their mission and vision to fruition. Once you've engaged on some of the smaller entry-level tasks, you may be asked to step up into a larger role. You will also have more clarity as to whether this organization or topic is the right fit for you personally as well.

Embrace the opportunity to learn and grow through your volunteer work! Through volunteering, you not only meet those you help and learn from their experience, but also try engaging with the organization's staff, fellow volunteers, and the communities they serve. Seek feedback, ask questions, and take advantage of training or development opportunities from them. At the end of the day, volunteering obviously can do good to our society, try starting out with small steps, participate in visits to orphanages/nursing home or voluntary teaching, you will eventually get there!

Regular reflection is crucial for everyone. It allows for a deeper understanding of our actions' impact, helps identify areas for improvement, and ensures that efforts remain aligned with our overarching goals and values. Celebrating successes is important, too, as it reinforces motivation and provides encouragement. Learning from challenges is vital for growth and resilience in navigating the sector's complexities. By embracing a mindset of continuous learning and adaptation, we can enhance our effectiveness and contribute to sustainable change in society.

Gratitude changes the way our brains work. Practicing regular gratitude through reflection can help us be more sympathetic, patient, and happy. Definitely take the time to reflect on how efforts can be improved, but I've found focusing on the positive with gratitude to be more meaningful and impactful to growth. What do we do well? Let's do more of that!

Regularly evaluate your volunteer experience and the impact you are making! Reflect on what you have learned, the challenges you encountered, and how you can improve. Use this reflection to refine your approach and seek out new ways to contribute effectively. Reflection is how you grow, how you realise what is not enough and work on that. Kudos to all of you out there!

The good news is that philanthropy isn't reserved for the rich & the privileged. If you've already given Time, Talent, Treasure, Ties or Testimony to someone outside your inner circle of trust, you can confidently call yourself a part-time philanthropist. However, if you wish to be more strategic in your philanthropic aspirations, here's a blueprint to start with: Educate yourself to gain insights, volunteer to build experience, network to meet like-minded individuals, set goals to guide your efforts, seek mentorship to learn from experts, measure impact to track progress, collaborate to amplify impact and innovate to find new solutions. These steps will help you make a greater impact and contribute meaningfully to causes you care about.

It is not transactional, philanthropy is deeply personal to the donor and if you do not undertake due diligence and ask the probing questions to truly understand their motivations and drivers, you will end up with an obligatory gift or a donation that doesn't support the transformation they are keen to champion. Magic happens when you take the time to understand their why, and even challenging their ideas. Be bold, and make magic! As a beginner in the field, you will want to build your emotional intelligence, knowledge of the psychology of giving and ability to listen with intention swiftly. This will help success blossom early.

If you work in the non-profit sector, start with understanding your own motivation to give and then take the time to get to know the motivation of others. This will help you to create connections and philanthropic opportunities that are thoughtful and meaningful.

1. Listen. Think. Act. In that order. It is critical to take the time necessary in order to make a meaningful impact. 2.Trust organization's to do the work. They are the experts. 3. join other philanthropists in the space. No need to duplicate efforts. This just makes things harder for nonprofits to manage.

Reach out to the top people in philanthropy in your area and ask for a 15 minute meeting to get their guidance. Use that meeting to learn more about their journey and what they would suggest to someone just starting out. Close by asking who else they suggest you talk to. Usually they will even be happy to introduce you. Follow up every meeting with a hand written thank you note and keep in touch a few times during the year with a simple email or text congratulating them for reaching goals or hosting an event. Look for articles you might share or a simple question you might ask. They will remember and support you. A great, supportive network can take you anywhere.