Welcome to Cultivating Generosity,

a Rad Philanthropy Newsletter

Welcome to Cultivating Generosity, the newsletter to help you create a values-driven, joyful, and intentional giving plan. Here you'll learn about ways to give, you'll receive prompts to help you hone in on your giving philosophy, I'll keep you up to date about news and trends in giving, and we'll have a fun time while we're at it.

Hey there! Are you in the I-can't-believe-it's-still-January camp or are you more in the no-way-it's-already-February squad? Either way, time keeps on slipping, into the future. Or so they say. No theme today, just some disparate ideas about giving! Enjoy - Perry

Learn Asymmetric Requirement of Gratitude - ARG!

We've learned about how gratitude is good for you, but the incisive and insightful Vu Le (aka nonprofitaf) recently brought up the idea of Asymmetric Requirement of Gratitude, which is also worth exploring. Vu describes ARG as "ingrained notions of who is expected to be grateful to whom, and it is grossly lopsided, and we’ve been conditioned to just accept it."

I think most folks who have worked as fundraisers at nonprofits can immediately think of experiencing either asymmetric or level gratitude with donors or funders. If you haven't had this experience, it can look like the difference between donors who say verbatim "you should be grateful for me" (with a possible sneer included for good measure) and those donors who thank staff for their work when they are making their gifts. One donor is establishing power over, and one donor is establishing power with, power together.

I fundamentally believe collaboration, partnership, and reciprocation are among the most powerful ways donors and orgs can make an impact, and this nuance about gratitude is instructive for those relationships.

Rad Reflections Acts of Giving: Ties

One of the best ways for people to think about how they want to give back is to start with the basics: the Acts of Giving. The Acts of Giving are the basic actions you can take to give. As you think about how you want to make an impact or influence with your giving, I encourage people to think about how each act may help them with different philanthropic goals.

Giving ties is the act of building relationships and community in the pursuit of impact. I believe giving and philanthropy are at their root about community and problem solving. So, ties really sets up half of that equation. Here are some ways you can incorporate giving ties into your giving plans:

• Open the door with introductions. When you are involved with a nonprofit or project, "who you know" can be an underrated source of help. Focus on specific, strategic introductions that will propel an initiative as needed, not on finding the richest person you know.

• Get the right people in the room. How do you build community? Relationships and alignment. Who do you know who cares about the same issue as you? Ask them to get involved by your side, and help them establish their own relationship with your cause or organization.

• Leverage corporate philanthropy. Whether it's a multi-national corporation or a local small business, many companies have some sort of values around giving that you may be able to influence as an employee. If you're going to champion a cause internally, it must be aligned with those articulated giving values.

Playtime with Perry

Good news, everyone! My newsletter is now influencing Warren Buffet's giving! But how should I use that $2.5million for good? Let me know your thoughts. WRONG ANSWERS ONLY!

Did this newsletter leave you with any burning questions about your giving? Drop me a line at perry@radphilanthropy.com and I'll help you out.

NEW! Interested in working with me? Book a session with my brand new Calendly link.

You can also find past issues here.