Chronicle Careers: 1/30/2006: Playing Philanthropist: "Playing Philanthropist
By Mark J. Drozdowski
The Fund Raiser
Career advice for administrative staff members in fund raising and development
As fund raisers, we think about it all the time: What would it be like to give away money, to be a philanthropist?
We fantasize about donating large sums -- or at least of having large sums to donate -- and we dedicate countless brain cells to figuring out what motivates people to give. Every time the lottery jackpot swells high enough to justify playing, my wife and I concoct plans to fling millions at our family members (after buying the beach house and the Ferrari). That's about as close as I get.
Until this past holiday season. Just before Christmas I was persuaded to join a staff-driven effort to supply needy families with food, presents for children, and various other forms of holiday cheer. Everyone in my office pitched in some bucks, and a few of us volunteered to deliver the goods.
So I spent an afternoon riding around the poorest neighborhoods in our city, visiting tenements I would describe as unlivable. But of course people lived there. The apartments were uniformly dirty and decrepit. Most were devoid of creature comforts, while some contained no real furniture. Many "
No comments:
Post a Comment