How To Become A Philanthropist (Even Without Money)
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There’s a notion that only the rich can be philanthropists, this just isn’t true.
You can become a philanthropist yourself even with no money.
The heart of a philanthropist is to make an impact on those you can help.
And you can easily get started despite your financial position.
Giving has been a big part of my life since I was a child.
I grew up in a house that always had open doors for people and fed everyone who came through.
This has shaped my money mindset to understand giving plays a big role in our finances.
I have first-hand experience in most of the ideas I’m sharing with you to become a philanthropist.
Trust me, anyone can do at least one of these.
Table of Contents
What Is Philanthropy?
Philanthropy is derived from the Greek words ‘philos’ and ‘anthropos’.
These two words are translated as loving humanity and that is the essence of philanthropy.
Philanthropy is having the desire to impact the world one person at a time.
This is done by preventing and solving social problems for the betterment of humankind.
The person who contributes to such endeavours is a philanthropist.
I believe you and I can make an impact on the world we live in.
We can make an impact on a global, national, local or individual stage.
And the best part, you can get started today despite your net worth.
Charity vs Philanthropy
Technically, these are two sides of the same coin.
As I mentioned previously, philanthropy is about preventing and solving problems.
On the other hand, charity is about helping those affected by these problems.
Imagine a small town without water.
You can buy thousands of water bottles and hand them out to everyone in the town.
This would be an act of charity as you’re helping those impacted by the problem.
Or, you can connect the town to a sustainable and reliable water supply.
This would be classed as philanthropy as you’re solving the problem itself.
Either way, both come from the same heart of helping people.
Therefore, the activities outlined in this post will dance between these two schools of thought.
Why You Should Become A Philanthropist
You should become a philanthropist because there are people you can help.
According to the Giving What We Can charity, my wife and I are in the richest 1.8% of the global population.
We’re not wealthy but this puts in perspective that we can make an impact on others.
Our motto here at Skilled Finances is to learn the money, live on purpose and leave a legacy.
Giving has an important role in living on purpose and leaving a legacy.
Legacy is not just about leaving an inheritance when you pass away.
it’s also when you connect with others and leave them in a better place whilst you’re still alive.
Adopting the mentality of a philanthropist is one of the best ways to do that.
The Mindset of Generosity
With money, there are largely two mindsets: scarcity and abundance.
When I first started being generous with money it felt as though I was losing money.
This is what a scarcity mindset looks like.
The focus is on what I don’t have or what I’m losing.
A scarcity mindset always sees the glass as half empty.
Eventually, I learnt to cultivate an abundance mindset.
I have a beautiful family, a home, good friendships, a nice job and so much more.
The glass is half full, so I have the capacity to give others a sip.
I have no doubt you can help others too!
Being generous is one of the best ways to grow an abundance mindset.
How To Become A Philanthropist (Even Without Money)
There are numerous ways which you can give to others, these are but a few to get you going.
Some of them are ones that my wife and I have done personally.
Here are 7 ways to become a philanthropist even without money.
Sponsor A Child
This is a special one for me as Lindie and I sponsor a child in our home country.
Sponsoring a child is a great method to end child poverty.
A study of top development economists rated child sponsorship as the most effective long-term intervention for helping the poor.
When you sponsor a child, you’re paired with one child for a long term one-to-one connection.
Some allow you to connect with your child by writing letters or sending cards and gifts.
Others you’d sponsor a child in the shadows like paying for the education in secret.
Look through various programs as each one will be different.
But ultimately, all programs aim to serve a similar purpose.
Some great long-standing organisations where you can sponsor a child are:
Raise Awareness Through Social Media
We have a new currency at our disposal in this digital era, and I’m not talking about Bitcoin.
It’s called social currency.
We measure the credibility of a brand based on its social media presence.
This is why brands are willing to pay social media content creators to promote their brands.
You can use your social currency for philanthropy use too.
Technically, you do this already, we all do.
We share and reshare content we find entertaining, educating or inspiring.
Take this up a level and consciously look for efforts to share content for charitable causes.
Many initiatives are aiming to raise awareness of their cause online.
Investigate causes you want to play a part in to see how you can help.
You’ll find details of the social media campaigns they’re running that you can support on their website.
Or, simply go on their social media pages and support them.
Spend Some Time Volunteering
Volunteering is a great way to spend your time working on causes you believe in.
This can range from animal welfare, teaching, medical aid, or supplying utilities to villages.
You can volunteer anyhow you wish whether it’s a few hours a week or for longer periods.
A great place to start is Volunteer Match.
You can search for volunteering opportunities based on location.
Another option is to look for opportunities with charities you want to support directly.
Bear in mind going abroad will have some costs involved to finance your trip.
I spend a few hours a week volunteering at my local church plus we have a summer program of helping the local community.
I love volunteering because you get to see the impact in real-time.
There’s nothing like seeing people you’re helping with no strings attached be super appreciative.
Give it a try.
Give Blood (It’s Free)
People who’ve had surgeries, transplants, chronic illnesses, blood disorders or cancer can need blood.
The trouble is, very few people give blood.
In the UK, we need 400 new donors a day to meet the demand, even more so for black people.
In the US, someone needs blood every 2 seconds.
As you can imagine, the impacts of Covid have worsened the situation.
I recently signed up to give blood to help that one person who will match with my blood type.
In the UK, you can join through the NHS Blood and Transplant unit.
The best part is that it doesn’t cost you anything nor does it affect your health.
Donate Old Belongings (Not The Rubbish)
Many people need what you no longer have use of.
This could be clothing, furnishings, kitchenware and other items in your life.
You can find several places and opportunities to donate these items.
Sadly, some treat this as a way of getting rid of the rubbish from their homes.
Completely worn-out clothing and unusable damaged furnishings are given.
Personally, I’m totally against that.
Give what you’d like to receive is my mindset.
Many charities will offer free home pickup services for your items.
Start today and give a portion of your unused items in the house.
Mentor Someone For Free
Hear me out.
I mentored someone who said to me there was a lack of black representatives in my position.
I was the only one he knew to even ask.
At this stage, I don’t know what I can do to directly eradicate institutionalised racism in the workplace.
However, I can support and build people who feel their race puts them at a disadvantage.
Although not solving the problem in the system, I’m empowering those going through it.
Mentoring and coaching is a great way to give your expertise to others who need it.
Your reasons for doing so may be different to mine however the concept works.
Make it known that you are open to being a mentor and people will come to you.
Leverage Your Employment Charity Schemes
I’ve worked for employers who are willing to match charitable contributions raised by employees.
Some employers run seasonal charitable events that you can get involved in.
Some schemes enable you to donate to charity straight from payroll.
You can donate from your pre-tax salary and benefit from the full income tax relief.
I even had an employer that offered unpaid time off work for as long as 1 year for volunteering purposes.
Have a look at what your employer offers in terms of charitable work and sign up.
This is also a great way to get your colleagues involved in your efforts to be philanthropic.
How To Become A Philanthropist Summary
I hope you can see how anyone can become a philanthropist even without money.
All it takes is intentionality.
Be intentional with your money, your time and your life to causes you believe in.
Become a philanthropist with any of these methods.
As a reminder, the 7 ways to become a philanthropist even without money are:
- Sponsor A Child
- Raise Awareness Through Social Media
- Spend Time Volunteering
- Give Blood
- Donate Old Belongings (Not The Rubbish)
- Mentor Someone for Free
- Leverage Your Employment Charity Schemes
Take Action
Start today! That’s all you need.
Check out our Ultimate Money Plan to get in control of your money and allocate some money for giving to others.
Share this with others if you found value in it and feel others should too.
Let us know how you’re getting along by getting in touch with us, we’d love to hear from you.
Knowledge is powerless without action
So take action, and take care
Thando