November 15th marks National Philanthropy Day, a day of celebration and uplifting the efforts of so many who have given back in meaningful and impactful ways.
However, on a day like today, it's easy to get caught up in the flashy numbers, the impressive stories, the accolades and awards. However, in our continuous efforts to decolonize philanthropy, we need to look beyond the zeros and remember the teachings from our board members and from our charity partners. If we think about philanthropy as an elusive title for the rich and wealthy, we limit it's ability to change our communities.
In our recent series during Black Philanthropy Month, we learned that philanthropy is a way of life; a way of demonstrating empathy and kindness to those around us. When we listened to the stories of our guest bloggers, we learned that the principles of philanthropy are taught from a young age. So how do we teach our children that philanthropy is for everyone?
Here are five simple, yet crucial steps to begin that journey.
