our philosophy

Philanthropy literally means: the love of humankind.

And apparently the term philanthropy first appeared in writing hundreds of years ago in an Aeschylus play, Prometheus Bound. Prometheus was a titan forbidden by the gods to give humans the capacity to make fire because fire gave knowledge, hope and optimism, yet Prometheus did it anyway. And, based on his philanthropia (love of humankind), was bound to a rock in perpetuity.

Now I’m not suggesting we will be punished for our philanthropy, but I am suggesting that philanthropy shouldn’t always be comfortable or come with a reward. It requires selflessness and sometimes courage to share our resources for a more just society.

And this foundation of philanthropy is where I believe fundraising emerges. I am a fundraiser and proud to call myself one. I don’t beg people for money — fundraisers invite people to share the resources they have to make our communities more equitable places to live.

It’s not about the money. It’s what the money does. But I’m going to be honest, as it stands now: philanthropy will never solve what makes philanthropy possible. There are inequities and systemic problems in our society that require a major shift in how we approach problem solving and allocate our resources.

Through a progressive lens, Philanthropy Aide is trying to democratize and decolonize philanthropy. We want to start celebrating generosity relative to what someone can give, not just the size of the gift. We want to start lifting up giving as a part of collective impact, and not put one gift on a pedestal. We want to move charity to justice, and not perpetuate a paternalistic viewpoint that donors are here to save us.

And, we want to get back to the foundation of philanthropy. It’s really about the love of humankind by addressing inequity and building capacity in our society for people to thrive. This is justice, and we’re here for it.

Amanda | Principal