The term "philanthropy" is a combination of two ancient Greek words: "philos" meaning "love" in the sense of caring for, nourishing, developing and enhancing; and "anthropos" meaning "human being" in the sense of our common humanity. A philanthropist is any person, regardless of means, who expresses their love of humanity through charitable efforts.
Every year, hundreds of articles are published on the subject of philanthropy. Writers, including me, devote their words to help philanthropists become more strategic and effective, designing processes and measuring outcomes with business-like rigor and seeking results with pinpoint accuracy. Terms like "return on social investment," "venture philanthropy" and "measurable impact" are commonly used to guide modern philanthropic initiatives.
All of this effort to make philanthropy more strategic and impactful has led to many great innovations in the field and has resulted in some remarkable outcomes. What is often missing in this approach, however, is a recognition that the business and scientific methodologies alone are not enough.
The emotional component of philanthropy is, according to the late philanthropic advising pioneer Peter Karoff, the "secret sauce" of giving that enables philanthropists to achieve greater outcomes for themselves and the people and causes they seek to help.
Philanthropic love, much like other forms of love, consists of several key elements that, when brought to the philanthropic planning table, help ensure more effective and lasting outcomes:
_Compassion: Compassion is the empathy for, and the desire to alleviate the suffering of, others. Donnela Meadows, an environmental scientist and author, wrote, "The world can never pass through the adventure of bringing itself to sustainability if people do not view themselves and others with compassion."
_Respect: Donors must have respect for the people or causes they hope to help. In this context, respect also means not imposing the donor's will upon a gift recipient but, rather, engaging in deep listening about what is most needed and what will best serve to accomplish mutually agreed-upon goals. All partnerships are dependent upon mutual respect, and philanthropic partnerships between donors and beneficiaries are no exception.
_Trust: Philanthropy requires a high degree of trust in the integrity and goodwill of others. It is imperative to identify good partners in the social sector, and then, as in any partnership, have the confidence in them to follow through on their commitments and achieve their potential. Trust also implies a willingness to take risks with philanthropic capital in an effort to help solve some of society's most intractable problems.
_Passion: Identifying causes about which you are passionate is a key element of philanthropic love. The antonym of passion is apathy. Anyone who is apathetic about the community's problems cannot be an effective philanthropist. According to businessman and philanthropist Henry Samueli, "Passion is what gives meaning to our lives. It's what allows us to achieve success beyond our wildest imagination."
_Integrity: Karoff wrote: "Integrity is completeness and consistency of purpose, process and practice. Its soundness is based upon the moral principles of virtue, honesty and sincerity."
Although methodology, measurement and metrics are essential for philanthropy to improve the lives of others in today's complex world, they cannot stand alone. Ensuring that philanthropy also includes the magic, power and impact of the qualities of philanthropic love helps to ensure that the outcomes, for both the philanthropist and the beneficiaries, will be maximized and meaningful.
In the words of Beatle Paul McCartney, "And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make."
