Have you ever been asked a question that makes you freeze with anxiety? It may sound odd, but for me, that question has always been. Can you tell me a little bit about yourself? A simple get to know your question, but one that's always carried so much weight, because as much as I want to give people insight into the real me, I have this tendency to provide resumé or bio answers, things I feel like I’m supposed to say. For example, I love to snowboard. That's true, I do love to snowboard. Unfortunately, though, I haven’t been snowboarding in about 20 years, so I’m 50 50 as to whether I could actually make it off of a chairlift today without completely falling on my face. Or how about the often use? I love to read a great book. Sure. But I've taken the binge watching crime TV, and I got to tell you, I definitely prefer that. And then there's the fact that I love to cook, which is completely motivated by the fact that I love to eat. I actually grew up in a house where my mom would occasionally have to remind me, You know, Kel, there are people in this world who eat to live. And then there are those who live to eat like you, which might explain why when I was younger and I would get into trouble, she would take away my Oreos instead of a toy or a game like one of my siblings. Anyway, what I found is that the answers I've been providing share with people, things I like to do. And while that gives some insight into who I am, who I really am at my core is a philanthropist. Now, I don't say that because I've given away millions of dollars or fronted a major social justice cause. I say that because whatever resources I do have, I want to share with others and that's what philanthropy is all about. Over time, its definition has become really restrictive, but I'm hoping that together we can get back to its original and simple meaning. So I'm here today to ask all of you to join me. Let's update our resumes and LinkedIn bios because everyone can be a philanthropist. The key is threefold. First, accessibility. Second, approachability. And third, inclusivity. I believe that if we can shift our focus to those three things, then we can both individually and collectively find empowerment and fulfillment as we work to make the world a better place, which is no small feat. So let's start with the first concept. Accessibility. It may seem like a pretty bold claim to say everyone can be a philanthropist. I mean, after all, four years, we've associated philanthropy with the gifting of significant funds. Articles have been written awards given buildings have even been named for people and organizations whose financial generosity has or will have a great impact on the community, and rightfully so. What’s interesting, though, is I consider myself a philantrophist and I don’t have any of those accolades. Now, don't get me wrong, I'll be the first to acknowledge the many blessings and privileges that my parents hardwork and values have provided to me. But he didn't. They came from generations of family who, as my grandmother would say, didn't have two nickels to rub together, but they could also be considered philanthropists. So how does that make sense? Well, you may be surprised to know that philanthropy actually has a really simple definition, and it's one that applies to all of us. Derived from Latin and Greek, Phyl, meaning love and Anthropocene,
meaning humankind, philanthropy literally means love of humankind. That’s it. It’s that simple. So I think that’s exciting, because what that tells me is philanthropy is highly accessible. The door is wide open to anybody who's willing to love humankind now, OK? You may be thinking that sounds really good, but isn't the point of philanthropy to have significant impact? How can I do that if I don't have a lot of money? Well, that brings me to our second concept approachability. I don't know if any of you were, like me, introverted, socially anxious card carrying members of the Sweaty Palms Club, but if you are, you'll understand that it's always been pretty easy for me to psych myself out thinking if I don't win the lottery, then my only real shot for philanthropic impact is going to have to be through some sort of newsworthy activism like leading a massive rally or crowdfunding effort, which makes me want to literally melt into the ground right now. Good news: There are people out there who are actually really good at it, so we don’t truly have to rely solely on me and my sweaty palms. But I get it. It does leave the question OK. You say the door is wide open to philanthropy but does it take a certain sort of person to actually walk through it? The answer is no. Poetry is also highly approachable. How do I know first hand experience? I grew up watching it, modeled when my mom would volunteer to run Vacation Bible School, where, by the way, on occasion I could have some of the office snacks like Oreos, or when my dad would teach junior achievement. Whenever I would see a neighbor lend an ear or a hand to another neighbor in need, or even when neighborhood kids would offer to babysit and tutor one another. Those are all philanthropic acts, and they're all critical to the welfare of humankind. Take it from me. Someone who has over 40 first cousins babysitting is critical to the welfare of humankind. You know, I’ve also been really lucky over the last decade or so to find myself working in the business of philanthropy. And I can assure you the same holds true. It doesn't matter who we are or what we have. If we're willing to share whatever resources we do have with others, then we’re philanthropists. It’s truly that simple. It could be our talent, technical expertise, our networks, or even just our willingness to listen and to love one another. Those are all such valuable resources, and they're so necessary for progress. So I hope that we all have the confidence we need to walk straight through that door with our heads held high because we are philanthropists. So if you're still with me, we've now established two things right the door to philanthropy is wide open and we all have what it takes to walk through. But something I've noticed is even if we can all walk through that door, we can't necessarily do so together. Barriers can arise and on the basis of all sorts of things age, race, gender, socioeconomics and even if we can cross the threshold and actually get into the room, those same barriers can still exist to leave us feeling unwelcome or like we don't belong. When it comes to philanthropy, I want to focus on age because I think we've long associated philanthropy with more mature generations, and that makes a ton of sense. But I'd like to suggest that going forward, if we do solely that we're missing out on a big part of the equation. I'm sure you've noticed, especially on social media, that more and more members of younger generations are developing an interest in and a passion for philanthropy, which is fantastic. It's also one of the main reasons that I think it's so important that philanthropy also be highly inclusive. That's the third concept. Did you know that today at least five different generations are all living at the same time? That's more so than ever before in history. They range from the silent generation all the way to Generation Z and take it from me, someone in the middle. I'm afraid to say a millennial. There are a lot of differences between the generations. For example, not every nine year old is going to appreciate the Tik Tok phenomenon, and not every tween will understand or appreciate the quieter heads down approach of elders. But for all of the differences that we often note between generations, many of which I think we allow to become barriers to progress, we actually have a lot in common. Truly, those commonalities are our values. Now I'm not saying all values are the same across all generations, but we do have common ground and that we all want to make meaningful connections. We all want to love and be loved. We all want to feel as though we're making an impact and we all want to leave the world a better place. So that's why I think it's so important that we not only open the door to philanthropy, but that we invite all generations to the same table for conversations that are open minded, loving and patient. Now, I'm not saying that those conversations will always be easy, although now that I think about it, I bet if you brought a few Oreos, everybody, they'd be easier. I don't know. Just a thought. But I do know that if those conversations are successful and I know that they can be, the upside potential is amazing. I mean, who wouldn't want more passion and resources brought to bear on the causes that matter so much to us? I know me and my sweaty palms are all in for that. See, the thing is, as if philanthropy can be accessible, approachable and inclusive, then it can also be highly successful. What's more, it's actually good for us. Yes, we want to focus on love of humankind , progress and impact. But it's also important that for each of us as givers, we find fulfillment as we share our time, talent and treasure. After all, we don't want it to go the way of my snowboarding hobby, which we all now know is a thing of the very distant past. I'm sure you've all heard of the concept of the gift of giving. It's the idea that when you give you feel good. Well, if you don't know what I'm talking about, think about it this way. Have you ever given a gift to someone and known it is the perfect gift for whatever reason? You know that when the recipient opens it, their mind is going to be blown because you've completely hit the nail on the head. You know what I mean? Or for someone like me, it's kind of also the feeling I get when I realize that oxygen is about to release a new episode of Snapped, one of my favorite shows. I get flooded with this feeling of satisfaction that I want to happen over and over and over again. It's that that's the feeling I'm talking about. And at least in the context of philanthropy, that feeling is backed by science. Neuroscientists and psychiatrists around the world have studied the brain and found that at the time of giving dopamine and serotonin levels spike, that's the happiness hormone. And when studied over a longer period of time, active giving can lead to a reduction in cortisol, the stress hormone that can lead to increased neuroplasticity, improve mood and overall health. It could even make us live longer. Who wouldn't want that? I'm sure you'll agree with me that especially over the last couple of years, the world has seen so much social isolation and divisiveness. But I hope you'll feel reassured like I do, knowing that as we come back together fully, it to me is a great way for us to authentically reconnect with one another and to start to see that progress we want so desperately for the world. See, the bottom line is giving is good for the world, and it's good for us. It doesn't matter who we are or what we have, we don't have to be millionaires or newsworthy activists. If we're willing to share whatever resources we do have with others, then every one of us can be a philanthropist. Science suggests that for our health, every one of us should be. And I truly hope for the sake of the world that every one of us will be. So I say, let's start right now. Join me. Let's go. Update our resumes on LinkedIn bios because we've got work to do. I'll meet you at the table. I'll be one with the Orioles. Thank you.
