It is hard to define philanthropy without limiting its applications and potential, but without a doubt, it would be appropriate to state that philanthropy on any and all levels should be centered around the love for the fellow human being. In case you are in a position in your professional life where philanthropy is something that you can look forward to, let’s discuss the basics so that we can at least get a more clear idea of what it means to be a successful philanthropist.

Incorporating Multiple Aspects into One Idea

Philanthropy does not have to be limited to just one of the many, many aspects of human society that need help so desperately. In fact, it doesn’t even have to be restricted to helping humanity alone, because by helping the conservation of nature, you are also helping ensure a better life for our future generations as well.

If we look at Chad Brownstein of Rocky Mountain Resources, he stands as an excellent example of a successful businessman and philanthropist who has perfectly integrated conservation of nature and improvement of human society into one concept, with multiple implementations. Go through the link above to know more about Brownstein and his implementations of philanthropy because there is no better way to learn about the idea than to study the work of those that have managed to do it successfully.

A Philanthropic Project has to be Dealt with Like a Business

This is where so many people get it wrong because they do not consider philanthropy to be similar to business, while in reality, it most certainly is. The goals and ideals might be different, but in order for a philanthropic venture to be successful, it needs to be handled like a business. Once you understand and accept that fact, it should not prove to be difficult since we are discussing this because you are already good at dealing with a business!

A business is about getting the work done as required, setting goals fulfilling criterions and everything in between; all of those are true for a successful philanthropic venture as well.

Donors are Your Customers

While you may not exactly be “selling” them anything, you will still have to sell them the idea of donating to your cause, which can initially prove to be difficult. Using business connection will, of course, be necessary, but you may need further intricate strategies and plans to add more donors to your list for the philanthropic fund you have set up with so much work.

Truth be told, when you first take on philanthropy, it may feel like an impossibility to select a specific area to work in, simply because there is just so much that needs to be done.

Nonetheless, it’s best to relate your own philanthropical venture with something that you can relate to on a personal level, or someone close to you can. There is no wrong turn to take in this respect at least, but some sections of the society may require more help than others for sure.

By Chakraborty

Dr Chakrabarty is the Chief Innovation Officer of IntuiComp TeraScience. Earlier she was Assistant Professor of Delhi University, a QS ranked university in India. Before that she has held research positions in IIT Mumbai, IIT Chennai and IISc Bangalore. She holds 2 patents and over 20 research publications in her name which are highly cited. Her area of research is in smart technologies, integrated devices and communications. She also has a penchant for blogging and is an editor of Business Fundas.