How to Practice Personal Philanthropy
Charity begins at home.
We all know that person. You know the one: consistently #1 on the leaderboard for fundraising on behalf of myriad charities, but struggling to keep their cool if a waitperson forgets to leave the dressing on the side. Since forever, there have been those who perfunctorily write a check, build a park, name a museum or library wing, all in the name of assuaging guilt—philanthropy without charity’s more human touch. We would like to bring in some everyday elevation with what we call personal philanthropy—those small yet true kindnesses that go a long way to make your little world (and our shared world) a lot better.
A fine how do you do
A smile and a nod are nice, but a “how are you”—one you really mean—delivers. So many of the supporting cast who make our lives sing (at your coffee shop, your grocery store, your _____) are encouraged to give you a friendly, “How are you today?” as part of their job descriptions, but we love the look of genuine surprise when we reciprocate. For such a simple gesture, we have received some honest answers in return. That chance for a moment of connection and concern is perhaps the biggest thanks we can give.
Play the name game
We were struck by this reflection on the pandemic reset of relationships with people we didn’t know well, but it makes total sense that many of our office, gym, bar and restaurant acquaintanceships are now at (six-foot, at least) arm’s length. So it also follows that we find ourselves redrawing our casual friendship circle to include people we encounter within our new reality. Our signature move? Introducing ourselves by name and asking (and endeavoring to remember) theirs. Our distanced run-ins feel more personal, and give us all those casual friendship feels.
Get two for the road
Whether we’re asking a neighbor what they need at the grocery store or taking a coffee order from the person at our front desk, we feel better about our routine errands when we perform double duty. Knowing our trek helped cross off a to-do list or deliver a small indulgence? Personal philanthropy, indeed.
