Here's how you can navigate the differences between working in philanthropy and other sectors.

First things first - philanthropy is a sector that has people driven to create meaningful impact. Its a choice, not a compulsion for many donors to participate in this sector and hence the kind of engagement expected is very high involvement. Often the causes are close to their heart, scrutinized by the outside world and their personality is linked to the change the they are driving. Hence, partnerships here are honest and are based on this implied understanding that their cause will be delivered meticulously. To succeed here, one needs to believe in the cause, be honest to the partnerships and be empathetic. You are impacting lives and that is huge. If you value this more than high end appraisals and bonuses, this sector is for you.

In philanthropy, the mission is central to every activity, distinguishing it significantly from many other sectors where profit often guides decision-making. When working in philanthropy, you're directly contributing to a social cause or addressing a community need. This requires a deep connection and understanding of the mission, its nuances, and the communities it impacts. Your passion for the cause isn't just motivational; it's crucial for your effectiveness, as each task, however minor it may seem, contributes to achieving a broader, meaningful purpose. Embracing this alignment of your personal values with your professional responsibilities can be one of the most rewarding aspects of a career in philanthropy.

Team members in this sector should find the mission of organizations they serve resonating with their own personal missions. Additionally, the organizations' core values should also reflect your own values. The most successful in this sector are those who serve organizations and missions which they have been personally impacted by at some point in their own lives.

Mensurar o impacto social é importante, pois permite ver o verdadeiro valor do projeto, além de ajudar a promover a transparência das a??es realizadas. Ao avaliar as mudan?as ocorridas na vida dos beneficiários do projeto, no médio e/ou longo prazo é possível entender se houve assertividade nas a??es propostas e tra?ar as estratégias corretas em novos projetos.

Impact is measured by the outcomes achieved through the work of the organization. Many will measure outputs, which reflects the work that is done while the outcomes require more time to measure. For example, improving systemic access to healthcare might serve many daily, weekly and monthly while the full outcome of improved health in a region will take longer to measure. The key to measuring impact is defining what you need to measure initially and ensuring you have the infrastructure to track and monitor over time. Once you have measurements, developing the stories to share the results (and the channels to share these stories) can help your organization communicate your impact.

The Board of Directors has a fiduciary duty to develop strategic plans and also to ensure that the funding sources are available to implement the plan. This doesn't mean the board member fully fund the plan, but rather they develop plans identifying the funding sources. For charitable revenue, the key is engaging those who share your values and mission and supporting their desire to participate in your mission in a meaningful way. Donor-centric organizations help their donors achieve the donors' philanthropic goals and develop trusted and long-term relationships with their donors.

Philanthropy is collaborative work. To be impactful it requires multi-sector and multi-disciplinary approaches. This collaboration helps to leverage resources and yield the outcomes which are beneficial to all. Communicating transparently with those you are collaborating with is important to maintain trust and engagement.

There will be a learning curve for anyone that’s new to any function or sector. But, make no mistake, philanthropy is notorious for over-complicating and overstating. There is also a lot of elitism and nepotism in the sector, which historically and intentionally excludes a lot of people from marginalized identities. This creates added labor for people who are interested in and trying to navigate careers in philanthropy and are met with obstacles when they don’t arrive in the sector using the language and jargon of wealth and privilege. Sure, humility and willingness to learn are important. However, the sector needs to think about ways it can make its work much more accessible.

Seek out external mentoring networks. Working with a mentor from another charity can be immensely helpful. This relationship can help you adopt additional knowledge, perspective, best practices, and industry insight.

Ethics plays a crucial role in philanthropy and there are many aspects of ethics in philanthropy. The morals of how donors are engaged, how transparently financials of the organization are shared and how donor intentions are honored to name a few. Staff and board of philanthropic organizations are both engaged in ethics with creation and implementation of policies. Staff and board may also have tough decisions with accepting contributions from individuals or organizations who may not have reputations which align with their values and mission. Donors also have some ethical considerations to make too with how they value contributions and the how they may wield power with their contributions.

In philanthropy, decision-making often involves multiple stakeholders, leading to a collaborative yet slower process compared to the private sector’s quicker, less consultative approach. Success in philanthropy is also measured by long-term community well-being and social change, which are challenging to quantify. Sharing examples of how inclusive decision-making led to significant community impacts or discussing the challenges of measuring intangible outcomes can provide deep insights into the unique dynamics of working in philanthropy.