Congratulations! By landing on this page, you are already on your way to becoming a philanthropist!
Yes, philanthropist. The term can certainly be intimidating, bringing to mind a billionaire deploying large sums of money through a well-staffed private foundation. But you don’t need millions of dollars to make your mark on the world. Anyone can make a meaningful difference by possessing passion, generosity and a desire to do good.
Even taking this first step to think about your giving means you understand the importance of conducting research and creating a strategy prior to making a donation. After all, why shouldn’t you take the time to think about how you best use your resources of time, money, and skills to best support the issues that matter most to you?
As you embark on this journey of becoming a philanthropist, we encourage you to think big and ask yourself, “How would I improve the world as it exists today?”
We’ve created this Philanthropy Toolkit as a valuable resource for you to develop a game-plan to achieve the kind of impact you’d like to see. Our goal is to make the process easier and more accessible because we believe that every individual should be able to make an informed decision about where to direct their giving.
This toolkit will act as your guide providing insights on
- Why you give
- Identify where to give
- Define how you want to give
- Evaluate nonprofits and organizations before you give
- Determine the best way to act
If you are thinking, “I’m passionate about so many areas–improving education, addressing global warming, supporting civic engagement in my local community–where do I begin?” Well, rest assured that you’re not alone and we’re here to help!
To start, grab a piece of paper, a trusty notebook, or however you best collect and save your thoughts. You will want to keep this handy as you work through our guide. We are now ready to begin. Check out the next section to get started.