As someone who sits on the Board of Trustee for the Towbes Foundation and the Santa Barbara Foundation, Rob Skinner clearly fits into the category of being a philanthropist, but you might not consider him an Everyday Philanthropist. However, his message to the group was astonishingly everyday:
"Philanthropy isn't just about giving money, its being thoughtful about how you are going to be a catalyst for change and finding the things that energize you to be that catalyst. "
By harnessing your power to be a catalyst for change, it is no longer about how much money you can give, but about the number of people you can energize to make sure we live in an inclusive society, whatever the focus area you chose.
Rob gave the example of a school field trip where not all of the children can afford the price of the field trip. Let's say it's the fifth grade four day trip many schools take to places like CIMI. He said you could just reach into your pocket and help pay for the children who can't go OR you can be energized to find a solution that eliminates this need on an ongoing basis for the school. Maybe you start an annual school wide fundraiser whose purpose is to provide scholarships to those kids who can't afford the camp and brings the school community together at the same time.
The message Rob left the group with really resonated with me because my philanthropic dollars don't go as far as I'd like, but I know I am an enthusiastic person and that I am good at finding ways to bring people into the causes I care about in a way that works for them. I am also good at connecting people to opportunities I think they will care about thus providing them an avenue for harnessing their own power. I suddenly felt like a much bigger philanthropist!
TAKE-AWAYS:
- Where do you already harness your power by being a catalyst for change by energizing others?
- What other places could you harness your power by being a catalyst for change by energizing others?
