phi•lan•thro•py (fĭ-lăn'thrə-pē): voluntary promotion of human welfare.
There is a lot of talk and buzz these days about philanthropy. Many of us have read about Bill Gates, Warren Buffet and Bill Clinton's foray into the philanthropic space and their hopes to have impact on the world's most marginalized.
While I applaud their efforts and the media's coverage of their work I'm reminded of the thousands of women, on the ground, in their communities who daily work for the greater good, for the "promotion of human welfare." Some of these women I have met have significant financial resources and apply those resources to benefit those in need. Most however give more of their time, talents and sweat equity to make a difference. And what a difference they make.
In Bosnia I worked with women leaders who convened the men in their community and asked them this: what are you going to do about the men who are abusing their wives? These women shared that it was hurting the economic potential of their community to have this abuse. Further they shared that the women being abused were being prevented from receiving job skills training. Surely, they asked, you want us to have a vibrant community for our children and our children's children? The men took the women's advice. They hosted their own convening and confronted the abusers. The abusers agreed to get help and to work for their community's greater good. Today this is a community where women run small businesses side by side with their husbands and abuse is at an all time low.
Since the siege in the Balkans a lot of money has been contributed to Bosnia, Herzegovina and Croatia. That money has helped the country to begin its rebuilding. Money alone though is not the answer. The women I worked with in Bosnia had passion and the will to make a difference. They had made a decision: a better, stronger future for Bosnia. They transformed that decision into social action.
What was clear to me while I worked in the Balkans is this: certainly, individuals with significant financial resources play a key role in ensuring social change. However it is the critical mass of women- women who give of themselves daily and the women donors who write $25, $50, $70 checks to ensure a better world- that is the key to advancing human welfare.
I once asked an activist friend- someone who had been on the front lines for years- what she thought a philanthropist is. She said "Someone who writes big checks." I then asked her how she defined herself. She had after all written checks over the years and had backed up those checks with contributions of her time and talents. She replied: "I can't write the big checks but I can change the world with everything else I give."
What women do in their communities, across the world is social action: the combination of their time, treasure, talent and taking a stand to make a difference.
Each of us can take social action. Each of us must. The checks written by the world's wealthiest will not alone undo social ills or ensure equality. The transformation requires you. What social action will you take today to change the world?
Kathy LeMay is the President & CEO of Raising Change, LLC. Raising Change provides Social Action Planning programs and products to nonprofits, donors, foundations, and activists based on personalized strategies for using time, treasure, talent, and taking a stand to change the world, for good. For tools to transform the world contact, Lisa Condit, lcondit@raisingchange.com.
Ms. LeMay launched Raising Change to help progressive non-profit organizations raise the capital needed to advance a social change agenda worldwide. Raising Change believes in the power of women's ideas and our capacity to make a difference in our communities. At the age of 24, Ms. LeMay volunteered in war-torn Yugoslavia where she worked with women survivors of the siege and rape-genocide camps; this experience solidified her commitment to increasing the assets of women worldwide and building a critical mass of women leaders. Ms. LeMay is a professional social change fundraiser, raising millions of dollars in the fields of women’s human rights, hunger and poverty relief, HIV/AIDS, and Movement-building; is the author and architect of programs including Time, Treasure, Talent and Taking A Stand: How To Make a Difference in the World for Good; and has appeared on numerous radio & TV shows, including Oprah. She is married to her wife, the painter and photographer Michelle Bellici. They make their home in western Massachusetts.
