SPRING-OA 2022

“For me, spreading philanthropy is spreading love”

— Roger Grein, founder of Magnified Giving

CREATING A CULTURE OF PHILANTHROPY

By Peggy McCormick-Platz ’88 ’21G SMWC Alumni Board President

The premise is simple, take a dollar and multiply it. Suddenly there is an energy behind the notion that every dollar has the capacity to go further, do more. Imagine the possibilities! Philanthropy at its core is rooted in a spirit of generosity and humanitarianism, which means anyone, yes anyone, who has a generous heart and compassion for humankind can be a philanthropist. But how does the doubling of dollars happen? In February of 2021, I had the privilege of connecting with several SMWC students through

a virtual event sponsored by Sarah Mahady ’05, director of alumni relations, for the members of SMWC Future Alumni Association to discuss the culture of philanthropy. Before we began, the students were offered the following scenario: While walking into your favorite coffee shop, you pass someone outside taking up a collection for a worthy charity. You feel compelled to donate. Using the money, you would most likely have in your pocket at that moment, about how much would you give them? Then, I asked the students to write the amount down on a piece of paper. Our discussion about philanthropy began with the awkward topic of money - who has it, who doesn’t and wouldn’t we all love more of it?! We chatted about the students’ own forms of giving, which included donating clothes or volunteering, supporting the oft-quoted mantra by nonprofits and volunteer organizations, time, talent and treasure. The students shared their perceptions of donating in general, and how, sometimes, making small donations can be embarrassing, after all, they are small. They easily named some of the organizations they admire, who they and their friends would support if they “had the money,” the fascination of crowdfunding and the like. And finally, we talked about donating back to The Woods. Some of them had never considered giving to the Woods Fund as current students, and others referred to the previously discussed small reference, again, assuming their contribution could never create real impact. As their conversation wound down, I acknowledged how it unveiled their generous spirits, and hearing why they would give to a particular charity or the College, showed commendable humanitarian intentions. They all had the possibility of being philanthropists. The evening concluded with an unveiling of how much each student had each written on their own piece of paper. Although the individual amounts varied, the students realized the cumulative amount was more impressive. I asked if they would be willing to make a real donation of their written amounts to the Woods Fund, which was unanimously agreed upon. The students’ first foray into a philanthropic endeavor was a success. Then, to their surprise, their donation was matched. Philanthropy empowers giving, not always the same way as our evening had illustrated, but instilling the idea in our culture of Woods students ensures no donation is too small if it inspires to multiply good.

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