Episode 2 - Background & Philosophy of Philanthropy

Today's show is one where I'll give you a bit of my background so you understand who you're listening to and what informs my experiences. I hope this is valuable to you as you listen to future episodes and can understand my strengths, weaknesses, and biases. Hopefully you get more from the show with that context.

I'll also share some of my philosophy of philanthropy, which is always a work in progress. This comes predominantly from my experience as a fundraiser, but also some from my experience as a donor. I know this is a work in progress for myself and for everyone, but I thought it's important to lay out before I bring other people on to the show and ask them to do the same.

You'll hear some of the key ideas behind how I approach my work. Many are influenced by The Spirituality of Fundraising by Henri Nouwen, an easy and quick read, that's dense with great ideas and only $7.24 on Amazon. If you're interested in buying the book, consider going through the link in this post. It's an affiliate link and I'd receive a (small) commission to support the podcast. Finally, you'll hear my ideas about the attitude that permeates all my work which is a big part of why I find such joy in my calling.

Some links from this episode:

Anthropology - A quick primer on a major I definitely recommend for students interested in this career.

Youth Horizons - The Irish tutoring program that put me on the path to working in education.

Youtube - Introduction to Hurling - For anyone looking for an incredible sport to watch.

LU-CHOICE - The volunteer teaching program I joined in Chicago.

The Impact of Connectedness - An article discussing the effects of giving and belonging to causes vs purchasing