Philanthropy worksheet exercises.
Exercise 2.1
Stereotypes
10–20 minutes
Fill in the following sentences, allowing yourself to write whatever comes to your mind, uncensored. By getting at the ideas that are just below the surface we can begin to identify our stereotypes—and, if appropriate, discard them.
Typical philanthropists are:
(example: from old money; older than fifty-five; live in mansions, give millions)
a. Rich
b. Older
c. CEO’s or other person of a high position
People I know who give are:
a. Honest
b. Middle-Class to lower income
c. Generous
As a giver I am
(example: generous, focused, scattered, impulsive):
a. Hit or miss
b. Impulsive
c. Inconsistent
Reflection: What have you learned about yourself by doing this exercise? For example, you may have found that your stereotypes contradict your experience or that the terms philanthropist and giver elicit different reactions.
I have realized that you don’t have to be upper-class to be a good steward, you just have to be passionate and consistent
Exercise 2.2
Gratitude
15 minutes
What have you received, and how might you “pay it forward”?
I unfortunately had to ask my parents for money to keep our power on recently, I will pay it forward by firstly repaying them even though they told me not to. I will also make sure that I am in a position to help my kids if they ever find themselves in that position.
A. The Greatest Gift You Have Received
Who has most deeply touched your life, or the life of your family, as a giver?
My grandfather (my mom’s dad.)
What did this mentor, hero, or heroine pass on to you that you most treasure?
He would always be quick to help a stranger and was always there for my family growing up if we were struggling financially and did it with a smile, almost as though helping us was helping himself. This taught me not to look at giving as a burden or obligation, but as a gift to myself.
What are you most grateful for?
My family.
B. What Have You Given
There are many ways to “pay forward” the gifts you have received by passing on your own gifts of yourself to others. Rate yourself below using a scale of 0 to 5, with 0 meaning you have no interest in that activity, 1 meaning you are not doing enough, and 5 meaning you are very active in the spirit of giving.
__3_ Parenting
__1 Committee work for a nonprofit
__3_ Teaching
__1_ Service on nonprofit board
__1_ Coaching
__0_ Artistic accomplishment
__1_ Mentoring
___1 Spiritual assistance (meditation, prayer, observances)
__3_ Volunteering
0__ Government service
__1_ Giving financially while living
_0__ Military service
__1_ Legacy gifts
_1__ Service through religious
organizations
___ Other _______________________
___ Other _______________________
Exercise 2.2
Gratitude, Cont’d
Looking at the ratings above, in what areas are you active and satisfied with your action?
What areas would you like to become more active in?
I would like to be more active in nonprofit work.
C. Giving While Living: What Do You Want to Do Now?
In the next three months I will extend my gifts to others in these ways:
Give my time to my kids
Give money to a local nonprofit
Get active in a volunteering position
D. Leaving a Legacy
The one thing I want people to remember about me as a giver is:
I want to be remembered for what I’ve done to help and not for having material things or a fancy high paying job with an important title. I want to leave my community better than when I got here.
After I am gone, my hope is that my gifts continue in these ways:
To promote AIDS education to youth and their parents.
Exercise 2.3
Vision and Values
15–20 minutes
Put a check mark beside the values below that resonate for you. Then circle the three that are most important to you.
£ (Community*)
£ Harmony
£ Preservation
£ Compassion
£ Healing
£ Respect*
£ Courage
£ Honesty*
£ Self-Discipline*
£ Creativity
£ Humility
£ Self-Respect*
£ Determination*
£ Independence
£ Service
£ Diversity
£ Innovation
£ Simplicity
£ (Empathy*)
£ Integrity*
£ Spirituality
£ Equality*
£ Interdependence
£ Stability
£ Excellence
£ Justice
£ Teamwork*
£ Fairness
£ Knowledge
£ Thrift
£ Faith
£ Leadership*
£ Tradition
£ Family
£ Love of comfort
£ Transformation
£ Freedom*
£ Love of others*
£ Other: ____________
£ Generosity*
£ (Loyalty*)
£ Other: ____________
£ Good sense
£ Patience*
£ Other: ____________
£ Hard work
£ Peace
£ Other: ____________
Issue Areas and Concerns
Following are words or phrases that describe issue areas and concerns that you may care about as a contributor. The areas listed are only for inspiration. You may never have donated time or money to these areas of interest before; this exercise is simply to give you the chance to recognize what has meaning for you among things you could give to. Put check marks next to those that have the most meaning for you. Then go through the list again and circle your top three.
£ Aging
£ Catholic charities
£ (Death and dying *)
£ Animals and species Preservation
£ Children or child care
£ Demilitarization
£ Civil rights
£ Disability rights *
£ Anti-Semitism
£ Coexistence
£ Disaster relief
£ Anti-Racism*
£ Community gardens
£ Domestic violence
£ Arts and art institutions
£ Biodiversity
£ Computer literacy
£ Corporate
responsibility
£ Drug and alcohol
abuse
£ Boys
£ Economic justice
£ Business development
£ Cultural heritage
£ Education *
Exercise 2.3
Vision and Values, Cont’d
£ Elder care
£ Immigrant and refugee rights and services
£ Poverty solutions
£ Electoral reform
£ Prison reform
£ Employment training and job creation
£ International development
£ Public policy or advocacy
£ Environment or environmental justice
£ Islamic causes
£ Religion
£ Jewish causes
£ Reproductive rights
£ Faith-Based community service
£ Legal aid and services
£ Science and technology
£ Libraries
£ Seniors
£ Gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgendered rights
£ Literacy
£ Spiritual development
£ Media
£ Sports and recreation
£ Girls
£ Global climate change
£ Medical research*
£ Sustainability and sustainable development
£ Gun control
£ Native and indigenous peoples’ rights
£ Women’s leadership and civil liberties
£ Youth development
£ Health care and prevention
£ Nutrition and hygiene
£ Parks and land preservation
£ (HIV and AIDS**)
£ ___________________
£ ___________________
£ ___________________
£ ___________________
£ Homelessness and housing
£ Peace or conflict resolution
£ Homophobia
£ (Philanthropy and volunteerism*)
£ Human rights
Reflection: Do you see a relationship between your top values and your top interest areas? Here are two examples:
My values and issues relate because they involve Community, empathy, and loyalty which are all things that are needed in my top three interests which were HIV/AIDS, Philanthropy and volunteerism, and Death and Dying
Exercise 2.6
Time, Talents, and Treasures
15–25 minutes
In the list below put a check mark next to each characteristic or item that is true for you. These may stimulate you to think of specific ways you want to share your abilities in the second part of the exercise.
£ **I can donate my professional skills to a nonprofit.
£ My workplace has equipment or services or a meeting space I could offer to a nonprofit for their use.
£ I’m good at organizing details and creating plans.
£ I’m good at motivating people.
£ I’m good at planning events and giving parties.
£ I know many people in my community who might be good resources.
£ **I like to teach what I know.
£ I am a good listener or writer.
£ I have experience designing or administering Web sites.
£ I am a supportive person to work with.
£ I’m good with financial information.
£ I like to raise money.
£ I can translate or know people who can translate documents into other languages.
£ I have graphic skills or artistic talents.
£ I love kids or am good with elders.
£ **I am a passionate public speaker.
£ I have __3_ hours of time per week, or would be willing to take a day or more each month, to donate.
£ Other: : ________________________________________________________________
Now look back at the top three values and issue areas you circled in Exercise 2.3. Think about the time, talent, and resources unique to you and your community that you can offer in working on those issue areas. For example, if you’re a breast cancer survivor and one of your issue areas is breast cancer, you might write, “I have been through diagnoses and treatment and could help others know what to expect or simply provide support.” Or, if you’re passionate about electoral reform and belong to a civic group or business roundtable, you could invite a speaker on the topic to make a presentation.
Write a statement here of how you can offer your time, talents, and treasures:
I am passionate about HIV/AIDS education for youth and have time that I can donate weekly to volunteer in that pursuit.
Exercise 3.4
Thinking About Change
As best as you can at this point, answer the following questions to begin to develop a theory of change.
Exercise 3.6
Million-Dollar Visioning
30–45 minutes (This exercise is also great to do with your family or a group once each person has chosen his or her values and issue areas.)
Here’s your chance to play Monopoly for the public good. Instead of hoarding your money and buying up all the properties, use this exercise to reflect on your vision of how you would give the money away to help create the world you want.
Exercise 3.7
Steps for Building a Comprehensive Giving Strategy
20 minutes
What is the problem you want to address? HIV/AIDS education
What is your goal or the outcome you hope for? What would you like to see changed in the long term? My goal is to get rid of the stigma surrounding those living with the disease. I would like to see more empathy for those impacted by it and a better understanding of what they are going through for those not living with it.
What are some short-term outcomes or achievements that could be first steps toward a long-term outcome? Better community awareness of the disease and its effects.
What are the ideas, systems, practices, policies, behaviors, and so on that will need to change in order to achieve these outcomes? Better AIDS education in our schools would be a big start to achieving these outcomes
What activities and strategies will create the outcomes you want to see? I believe if public and private schools would be more willing to open their doors to outreach programs who could come in a educate the youth about AIDS would be a huge step in achieving these outcomes.
What people need to be involved or influenced? Parents, teachers, faculty, and outreach programs
What are the resources needed to put toward achieving these outcomes? (people, time, money, materials, partners)People, time, trust, money, materials.
Exercise 3.7
Steps for Building a Comprehensive Giving Strategy, Cont’d
Write two or three statements representing the beliefs you have about how change happens: I believe change happens when people get fed up when the “usual” way of doing things is no longer effective of achieving the desired goals. Someone with a passion for an issue takes a stand and makes a decision that they are no longer going to sit on the sidelines while letting others fix the problem.
Exercise 4.1
Writing Your Mission Statement
25 minutes
Draft your own philanthropic mission statement here. Room is provided for a couple of drafts and a final statement.
First Draft:
Second Draft: I want to see the stigma of people living with HIV/AIDS disappear, I am going to partner with a local outreach program to give of my time, talents, and trust to help with this mission.
Final Statement: My dream is to see the stigma of people living with HIV/AIDS erased. I want people to understand that they need love , care, and affection like the rest of us, as well as show that those not infected with the disease need not fear those who have it. I will accomplish this goal by partnering with my local outreach program to give of my time, talents, and trust to help with this mission.
Exercise 4.2
Mission Matching
Exercise 5.1
How Much Money Do You Really Have?
5 minutes
To get a sense of your financial situation relative to the rest of the United States, check off the line below that describes your income:
My household pretax income last year was . . . (check one)*
___ less than $25,000 (26.99 percent of the population)
_X__ $25,000–$34,999 (11.39 percent of the population)
___ $35,000–$49,999 (14.87 percent of the population)
___ $50,000–$74,999 (18.39 percent of the population)
___ $75,000–$99,999 (11.13 percent of the population)
___ $100,000 or more (12.60 percent of the population)
___ $119,540 or more (6.63 percent of the population)
___ $166,000 or more (5.00 percent of the population)
___ income in excess of $500,000 annually and net worth of $6.5 million (top 1 percent of the population)
In light of these facts, do you feel you could be or would like to be more generous? I would like to be but at the moment things are really tight financially so it’s not possible
What other reflections do you have? I will be a better steward with what I have and begin to give.
Exercise 5.2
How Much Should You Give?
10 minutes
Part A
First consider this question:
Given our enormous privilege—whether courage capital, wisdom capital, creative capital, or financial capital—what more can we do, while staying in balance ourselves, for humanity or our communities now? What are you uniquely called to do on the question of how much and how best to give? (Most people give from their income, but some more wealthy donors give from their assets as well. When planning for giving after death or when making multiyear gifts, people often give some from assets and some from income. For more on giving from assets see “Giving Principal” later in this chapter and Exercise 13.1 in Chapter Thirteen.) Write your thoughts here:
We can raise a voice about issues that will better humanity, and we can lend a hand in our community. We can use courage, wisdom, and creativity in doing so. I want to begin giving based on my income, but soon after, I would like to give in respect to everything that I have, my assets. I also think I will be able to give my best when I partner monetary giving with giving of the gift, or talents, that I have.
Part B
In thinking about what percentage of income you want to give away, you might start by looking at the following chart. Find your income level, then look across the row until you see an amount that feels right to you as an amount to give away. You may need to check your capacity with your family or advisor, but for now just identify what you’d like to be giving. Now look at the top of the chart to see what percentage that is. Do both the amount and the percentage feel right to you? If not, where is the disparity? If you have given in the past, what percentage of your income does your past giving represent? How does it compare with the amount or percentage you chose on the chart?
If your income*
is and you want to give
2%
3%
5%
10%
15%
20%
$30,000
600
900
1,500
3,000
4,500
6,000
$40,000
800
1,200
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
$50,000
1,000
1,500
2,500
5,000
7,500
10,000
$60,000
1,200
1,800
3,000
6,000
9,000
12,000
$75,000
1,500
2,250
3,750
7,500
11,250
15,000
$100,000
2,000
3,000
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
$150,000
3,000
4,500
7,500
15,000
22,500
30,000
$200,000
4,000
6,000
10,000
20,000
30,000
40,000
$250,000
5,000
7,500
12,500
25,000
37,000
50,000
*You may choose your level of giving based on your pretax or post-tax figures.
Exercise 5.2
How Much Should You Give?, Cont’d
Note how much you want to give here:
This year I want to give $1500___ , which represents 5___ percent of my income.
Next year I want to give $3000___ , which represents 10__ percent of my income.
Exercise 5.3
How Much Will You Give During Your Lifetime?
10 minutes
First, note how much money you gave to nonprofits last year or, if you prefer, start with the figure you decided to give in Exercise 5.2. Multiply that amount by the number of years you expect to continue to live (for example, if your life expectancy is eighty-eight and you are forty-eight now, multiply your giving by forty years). The total represents your future giving.
$ 1000______________ × 45________________________ = $45000_____________
Your giving last year Years left of life expectancy Future giving
Add to that an estimate of how much you’ve given up till now. The result shows your total giving during your lifetime:
$45000______________ + $3000____________________ = $48000_____________
Future giving Giving to date Lifetime giving
Now consider what percentage of your assets (for example, 10 to 50 percent) you will direct to be given to nonprofits you care about after your death. Estimate the value that percentage will translate into and add that amount to your total lifetime giving.
$48000______________ + $3000____________________ = $51000_____________
Lifetime giving Value of gifts from estate All gifts during life and after death
Finally, consider how much giving you might influence in your lifetime through your own fundraising and by inspiring other givers by your example and add that to the total to get a truer sense of your total impact.
$500,000____________
Lifetime fundraising
Exercise 2.1
Stereotypes
10–20 minutes
Fill in the following sentences, allowing yourself to write whatever comes to your mind, uncensored. By getting at the ideas that are just below the surface we can begin to identify our stereotypes—and, if appropriate, discard them.
Typical philanthropists are:
(example: from old money; older than fifty-five; live in mansions, give millions)
a. Rich
b. Older
c. CEO’s or other person of a high position
People I know who give are:
a. Honest
b. Middle-Class to lower income
c. Generous
As a giver I am
(example: generous, focused, scattered, impulsive):
a. Hit or miss
b. Impulsive
c. Inconsistent
Reflection: What have you learned about yourself by doing this exercise? For example, you may have found that your stereotypes contradict your experience or that the terms philanthropist and giver elicit different reactions.
I have realized that you don’t have to be upper-class to be a good steward, you just have to be passionate and consistent
Exercise 2.2
Gratitude
15 minutes
What have you received, and how might you “pay it forward”?
I unfortunately had to ask my parents for money to keep our power on recently, I will pay it forward by firstly repaying them even though they told me not to. I will also make sure that I am in a position to help my kids if they ever find themselves in that position.
A. The Greatest Gift You Have Received
Who has most deeply touched your life, or the life of your family, as a giver?
My grandfather (my mom’s dad.)
What did this mentor, hero, or heroine pass on to you that you most treasure?
He would always be quick to help a stranger and was always there for my family growing up if we were struggling financially and did it with a smile, almost as though helping us was helping himself. This taught me not to look at giving as a burden or obligation, but as a gift to myself.
What are you most grateful for?
My family.
B. What Have You Given
There are many ways to “pay forward” the gifts you have received by passing on your own gifts of yourself to others. Rate yourself below using a scale of 0 to 5, with 0 meaning you have no interest in that activity, 1 meaning you are not doing enough, and 5 meaning you are very active in the spirit of giving.
__3_ Parenting
__1 Committee work for a nonprofit
__3_ Teaching
__1_ Service on nonprofit board
__1_ Coaching
__0_ Artistic accomplishment
__1_ Mentoring
___1 Spiritual assistance (meditation, prayer, observances)
__3_ Volunteering
0__ Government service
__1_ Giving financially while living
_0__ Military service
__1_ Legacy gifts
_1__ Service through religious
organizations
___ Other _______________________
___ Other _______________________
Exercise 2.2
Gratitude, Cont’d
Looking at the ratings above, in what areas are you active and satisfied with your action?
What areas would you like to become more active in?
I would like to be more active in nonprofit work.
C. Giving While Living: What Do You Want to Do Now?
In the next three months I will extend my gifts to others in these ways:
Give my time to my kids
Give money to a local nonprofit
Get active in a volunteering position
D. Leaving a Legacy
The one thing I want people to remember about me as a giver is:
I want to be remembered for what I’ve done to help and not for having material things or a fancy high paying job with an important title. I want to leave my community better than when I got here.
After I am gone, my hope is that my gifts continue in these ways:
To promote AIDS education to youth and their parents.
Exercise 2.3
Vision and Values
15–20 minutes
Put a check mark beside the values below that resonate for you. Then circle the three that are most important to you.
£ (Community*)
£ Harmony
£ Preservation
£ Compassion
£ Healing
£ Respect*
£ Courage
£ Honesty*
£ Self-Discipline*
£ Creativity
£ Humility
£ Self-Respect*
£ Determination*
£ Independence
£ Service
£ Diversity
£ Innovation
£ Simplicity
£ (Empathy*)
£ Integrity*
£ Spirituality
£ Equality*
£ Interdependence
£ Stability
£ Excellence
£ Justice
£ Teamwork*
£ Fairness
£ Knowledge
£ Thrift
£ Faith
£ Leadership*
£ Tradition
£ Family
£ Love of comfort
£ Transformation
£ Freedom*
£ Love of others*
£ Other: ____________
£ Generosity*
£ (Loyalty*)
£ Other: ____________
£ Good sense
£ Patience*
£ Other: ____________
£ Hard work
£ Peace
£ Other: ____________
Issue Areas and Concerns
Following are words or phrases that describe issue areas and concerns that you may care about as a contributor. The areas listed are only for inspiration. You may never have donated time or money to these areas of interest before; this exercise is simply to give you the chance to recognize what has meaning for you among things you could give to. Put check marks next to those that have the most meaning for you. Then go through the list again and circle your top three.
£ Aging
£ Catholic charities
£ (Death and dying *)
£ Animals and species Preservation
£ Children or child care
£ Demilitarization
£ Civil rights
£ Disability rights *
£ Anti-Semitism
£ Coexistence
£ Disaster relief
£ Anti-Racism*
£ Community gardens
£ Domestic violence
£ Arts and art institutions
£ Biodiversity
£ Computer literacy
£ Corporate
responsibility
£ Drug and alcohol
abuse
£ Boys
£ Economic justice
£ Business development
£ Cultural heritage
£ Education *
Exercise 2.3
Vision and Values, Cont’d
£ Elder care
£ Immigrant and refugee rights and services
£ Poverty solutions
£ Electoral reform
£ Prison reform
£ Employment training and job creation
£ International development
£ Public policy or advocacy
£ Environment or environmental justice
£ Islamic causes
£ Religion
£ Jewish causes
£ Reproductive rights
£ Faith-Based community service
£ Legal aid and services
£ Science and technology
£ Libraries
£ Seniors
£ Gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgendered rights
£ Literacy
£ Spiritual development
£ Media
£ Sports and recreation
£ Girls
£ Global climate change
£ Medical research*
£ Sustainability and sustainable development
£ Gun control
£ Native and indigenous peoples’ rights
£ Women’s leadership and civil liberties
£ Youth development
£ Health care and prevention
£ Nutrition and hygiene
£ Parks and land preservation
£ (HIV and AIDS**)
£ ___________________
£ ___________________
£ ___________________
£ ___________________
£ Homelessness and housing
£ Peace or conflict resolution
£ Homophobia
£ (Philanthropy and volunteerism*)
£ Human rights
Reflection: Do you see a relationship between your top values and your top interest areas? Here are two examples:
- My top three values are dignity, equality, and opportunity, and my top three issue areas are education, economic justice, and youth development. I believe that the opportunity for a good education, particularly for young people who are shut out of their full potential early on because of poor schools, is vital to dignity, equality, and, finally, economic justice for everyone.
- My top three values are community, justice, and respect, and my top three issue areas are seniors, poverty, and homelessness and housing. The relationship I see is that in order for everyone to live in a just community, all seniors must have enough financial support, including good housing, to lead their lives with respect.
My values and issues relate because they involve Community, empathy, and loyalty which are all things that are needed in my top three interests which were HIV/AIDS, Philanthropy and volunteerism, and Death and Dying
Exercise 2.6
Time, Talents, and Treasures
15–25 minutes
In the list below put a check mark next to each characteristic or item that is true for you. These may stimulate you to think of specific ways you want to share your abilities in the second part of the exercise.
£ **I can donate my professional skills to a nonprofit.
£ My workplace has equipment or services or a meeting space I could offer to a nonprofit for their use.
£ I’m good at organizing details and creating plans.
£ I’m good at motivating people.
£ I’m good at planning events and giving parties.
£ I know many people in my community who might be good resources.
£ **I like to teach what I know.
£ I am a good listener or writer.
£ I have experience designing or administering Web sites.
£ I am a supportive person to work with.
£ I’m good with financial information.
£ I like to raise money.
£ I can translate or know people who can translate documents into other languages.
£ I have graphic skills or artistic talents.
£ I love kids or am good with elders.
£ **I am a passionate public speaker.
£ I have __3_ hours of time per week, or would be willing to take a day or more each month, to donate.
£ Other: : ________________________________________________________________
Now look back at the top three values and issue areas you circled in Exercise 2.3. Think about the time, talent, and resources unique to you and your community that you can offer in working on those issue areas. For example, if you’re a breast cancer survivor and one of your issue areas is breast cancer, you might write, “I have been through diagnoses and treatment and could help others know what to expect or simply provide support.” Or, if you’re passionate about electoral reform and belong to a civic group or business roundtable, you could invite a speaker on the topic to make a presentation.
Write a statement here of how you can offer your time, talents, and treasures:
I am passionate about HIV/AIDS education for youth and have time that I can donate weekly to volunteer in that pursuit.
Exercise 3.4
Thinking About Change
As best as you can at this point, answer the following questions to begin to develop a theory of change.
- What is it that you hope to change or preserve during your lifetime? (You may want to refer to the issue areas listed in Chapter Two.) I hope to change the stigma of people living with HIV/AIDS in the community
- Has your past giving been a reflection of those hopes? No
- What are some of the causes behind the problems that concern you? The lack of proper AIDS education due to lack of resources available.
- What do you wish were different, and what might help change the situation? I wish there were more resources available to get the word out.
Exercise 3.6
Million-Dollar Visioning
30–45 minutes (This exercise is also great to do with your family or a group once each person has chosen his or her values and issue areas.)
Here’s your chance to play Monopoly for the public good. Instead of hoarding your money and buying up all the properties, use this exercise to reflect on your vision of how you would give the money away to help create the world you want.
- From the list of values and issues you care about, choose one problem in society you would like to help resolve: I would like to help get rid of the stigma of people living with HIV/AIDS
- Now imagine you have just been given $1,000,000 to give away or invest in solving that problem, with no strings attached. What would you do, who would you convene or hire to support your efforts, and what institutional partners would you choose? I would find a way to use that resource to provide the necessary educational materials bout AIDS and also involve my local community AIDS outreach center to help get this task accomplished.
- What outcomes would you hope for and in what time frame? I would hope for better AIDS education within a 1-2 yr time frame
- How would you be involved to maximize impact? I would spread the word through my community about the need for this education and try to rally others to give in whatever way they could to help the cause whether it be time, talent, treasure, or trust
- How would you share your vision with others? I would hold a community event to spread awareness.
- What is holding you back from starting some of this work, even without $1,000,000 or more currently in hand? Lack of time. I am dealing with a full time school schedule and well a work and raising children.
Exercise 3.7
Steps for Building a Comprehensive Giving Strategy
20 minutes
What is the problem you want to address? HIV/AIDS education
What is your goal or the outcome you hope for? What would you like to see changed in the long term? My goal is to get rid of the stigma surrounding those living with the disease. I would like to see more empathy for those impacted by it and a better understanding of what they are going through for those not living with it.
What are some short-term outcomes or achievements that could be first steps toward a long-term outcome? Better community awareness of the disease and its effects.
What are the ideas, systems, practices, policies, behaviors, and so on that will need to change in order to achieve these outcomes? Better AIDS education in our schools would be a big start to achieving these outcomes
What activities and strategies will create the outcomes you want to see? I believe if public and private schools would be more willing to open their doors to outreach programs who could come in a educate the youth about AIDS would be a huge step in achieving these outcomes.
What people need to be involved or influenced? Parents, teachers, faculty, and outreach programs
What are the resources needed to put toward achieving these outcomes? (people, time, money, materials, partners)People, time, trust, money, materials.
Exercise 3.7
Steps for Building a Comprehensive Giving Strategy, Cont’d
Write two or three statements representing the beliefs you have about how change happens: I believe change happens when people get fed up when the “usual” way of doing things is no longer effective of achieving the desired goals. Someone with a passion for an issue takes a stand and makes a decision that they are no longer going to sit on the sidelines while letting others fix the problem.
Exercise 4.1
Writing Your Mission Statement
25 minutes
Draft your own philanthropic mission statement here. Room is provided for a couple of drafts and a final statement.
First Draft:
- What I’m passionate about changing in the world: I am passionate about changing the stigma of those living with AIDS
- What I think can help improve or change the issues or problems I care most about: Education for youths and their families
- What I am doing through my giving to support improvement or change: I am volunteering with my local outreach program.
- The time period for my actions ahead: From January 2015 until
Second Draft: I want to see the stigma of people living with HIV/AIDS disappear, I am going to partner with a local outreach program to give of my time, talents, and trust to help with this mission.
Final Statement: My dream is to see the stigma of people living with HIV/AIDS erased. I want people to understand that they need love , care, and affection like the rest of us, as well as show that those not infected with the disease need not fear those who have it. I will accomplish this goal by partnering with my local outreach program to give of my time, talents, and trust to help with this mission.
Exercise 4.2
Mission Matching
- Your mission or elements of it: AIDS outreach and education
- Organizations you know now might be a fit for your mission: Unity Wellness Center
- Other sources of information about organizations that may be a mission match for you (nonprofit leaders, Internet research, other contacts): Internet sources from various AIDS outreach centers such as the Elton John Foundation or Chattanooga Cares
- Your next steps: Get involved with the program through volunteering.
Exercise 5.1
How Much Money Do You Really Have?
5 minutes
To get a sense of your financial situation relative to the rest of the United States, check off the line below that describes your income:
My household pretax income last year was . . . (check one)*
___ less than $25,000 (26.99 percent of the population)
_X__ $25,000–$34,999 (11.39 percent of the population)
___ $35,000–$49,999 (14.87 percent of the population)
___ $50,000–$74,999 (18.39 percent of the population)
___ $75,000–$99,999 (11.13 percent of the population)
___ $100,000 or more (12.60 percent of the population)
___ $119,540 or more (6.63 percent of the population)
___ $166,000 or more (5.00 percent of the population)
___ income in excess of $500,000 annually and net worth of $6.5 million (top 1 percent of the population)
In light of these facts, do you feel you could be or would like to be more generous? I would like to be but at the moment things are really tight financially so it’s not possible
What other reflections do you have? I will be a better steward with what I have and begin to give.
Exercise 5.2
How Much Should You Give?
10 minutes
Part A
First consider this question:
Given our enormous privilege—whether courage capital, wisdom capital, creative capital, or financial capital—what more can we do, while staying in balance ourselves, for humanity or our communities now? What are you uniquely called to do on the question of how much and how best to give? (Most people give from their income, but some more wealthy donors give from their assets as well. When planning for giving after death or when making multiyear gifts, people often give some from assets and some from income. For more on giving from assets see “Giving Principal” later in this chapter and Exercise 13.1 in Chapter Thirteen.) Write your thoughts here:
We can raise a voice about issues that will better humanity, and we can lend a hand in our community. We can use courage, wisdom, and creativity in doing so. I want to begin giving based on my income, but soon after, I would like to give in respect to everything that I have, my assets. I also think I will be able to give my best when I partner monetary giving with giving of the gift, or talents, that I have.
Part B
In thinking about what percentage of income you want to give away, you might start by looking at the following chart. Find your income level, then look across the row until you see an amount that feels right to you as an amount to give away. You may need to check your capacity with your family or advisor, but for now just identify what you’d like to be giving. Now look at the top of the chart to see what percentage that is. Do both the amount and the percentage feel right to you? If not, where is the disparity? If you have given in the past, what percentage of your income does your past giving represent? How does it compare with the amount or percentage you chose on the chart?
If your income*
is and you want to give
2%
3%
5%
10%
15%
20%
$30,000
600
900
1,500
3,000
4,500
6,000
$40,000
800
1,200
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
$50,000
1,000
1,500
2,500
5,000
7,500
10,000
$60,000
1,200
1,800
3,000
6,000
9,000
12,000
$75,000
1,500
2,250
3,750
7,500
11,250
15,000
$100,000
2,000
3,000
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
$150,000
3,000
4,500
7,500
15,000
22,500
30,000
$200,000
4,000
6,000
10,000
20,000
30,000
40,000
$250,000
5,000
7,500
12,500
25,000
37,000
50,000
*You may choose your level of giving based on your pretax or post-tax figures.
Exercise 5.2
How Much Should You Give?, Cont’d
Note how much you want to give here:
This year I want to give $1500___ , which represents 5___ percent of my income.
Next year I want to give $3000___ , which represents 10__ percent of my income.
Exercise 5.3
How Much Will You Give During Your Lifetime?
10 minutes
First, note how much money you gave to nonprofits last year or, if you prefer, start with the figure you decided to give in Exercise 5.2. Multiply that amount by the number of years you expect to continue to live (for example, if your life expectancy is eighty-eight and you are forty-eight now, multiply your giving by forty years). The total represents your future giving.
$ 1000______________ × 45________________________ = $45000_____________
Your giving last year Years left of life expectancy Future giving
Add to that an estimate of how much you’ve given up till now. The result shows your total giving during your lifetime:
$45000______________ + $3000____________________ = $48000_____________
Future giving Giving to date Lifetime giving
Now consider what percentage of your assets (for example, 10 to 50 percent) you will direct to be given to nonprofits you care about after your death. Estimate the value that percentage will translate into and add that amount to your total lifetime giving.
$48000______________ + $3000____________________ = $51000_____________
Lifetime giving Value of gifts from estate All gifts during life and after death
Finally, consider how much giving you might influence in your lifetime through your own fundraising and by inspiring other givers by your example and add that to the total to get a truer sense of your total impact.
$500,000____________
Lifetime fundraising