How do you become a philanthropist?

In light of Vinnies’ upcoming National CEO Sleepout in 2020, many people are asking –how do I become a “philanthropist’’?

Often, philanthropy is linked with high profile, extremely wealthy people that donate significant financial support. Some of the world’s best known philanthropists include Warren Buffett, Bill and Melinda Gates and Oprah Winfrey.

We have the Forbes 400 list that focuses on the top 50 ‘givers’, that again promotes altruistic financial giving, usually on a very large scale.

For this reason, many people believe that to become a philanthropist, you first must be wealthy, successful in business and/or have a high profile (or all three!). This is far from the case and in Australia, many wealthy philanthropists prefer to remain as anonymous benefactors for causes that are close to their heart.

So what does it really take to be a philanthropist and might you already be one?

As an advisor that supports many philanthropists with their programs, there are a number of factors that they all have in common:

1. A desire to improve human welfare without expecting anything in return
2. They find ways to learn more about the people that are being impacted by their support
3. They carefully review and deliberate on the merits of the organisations and the impact that they can have with their time or money

However, we also know that many people make one-off or regular donations, volunteer their time, or provide technical pro bono support to a range of organisations, both in Australia and internationally. The true concept of philanthropy is helping others with your time, your skills, or property and goods that assist.

Our teams work closely with individuals and families to:

1. Review their charitable giving program, at least annually
2. Manage all administration and payment arrangements
3. Form introductions across relevant networks for education, awareness and involvement

This is my fourth year that I am participating in Vinnies CEO Sleepout and doing my small part. I think that this is a particularly important year, given the impacts of COVID-19.

This year is different to prior years and we will be doing the Sleepout at home, however that doesn’t take away from the important contribution everyone can make by raising awareness and educating our family, friends, colleagues and clients on the issues around homelessness, and of course raising much needed funds.

How we can help

If you’d like to know more how our team can assist you with your philanthropic goals, then please reach out for a conversation.

Get in touch