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Major Gifts, Sponsorships, and Grant-Writing
Let's start by differentiating between charity & philanthropy!
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Charity is different from philanthropy. The purpose of charity is to ease immediate suffering. The charity focuses on eliminating the suffering caused by social problems, while philanthropy focuses on eliminating social problems. It is usually a temporary solution to a social problem.
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For example, giving food to a person who is suffering from famine is charity. The food helps the person for a short period of time, but the person will become hungry again in the future. Teaching the person how to grow food is philanthropy because it eliminates the social problem causing the person's hunger.
“Charity brings to life again those who are spiritually dead.” - Thomas Aquinas
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"The secret to living is giving. That is to say, by contributing to the well-being of others, our communities,
and the world at large, we find more meaning in life." - Tony Robbins
Charity begins with the inward recognition of a need to show compassion to others whether consciously or unconsciously. The concept of charity is the act of extending love and kindness to others unconditionally, without expecting a reward. When Charity is carried out selflessly, it is a one-way act where a person gives but asks for nothing in return. This is an act of nature that makes it precious and soulful.
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The purpose of charity is essential and therefore meant to be done for public benefit, relief and to provide assistance to people at times of need in any part of the world, especially those who are the victims of war, natural disaster, catastrophe, hunger, disease, poverty, orphans by supplying them with food, shelter, medical aid, and other fundamental needs.
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Then we have philanthropy. A philanthropist is someone who donates their money, experience, time, talent, or skills to help others and create a better world. Though we often think of a philanthropist as someone who has millions of dollars to donate, you don’t have to be a famous philanthropist with a huge net worth to qualify.
Philanthropy is a critical part of a democratic society. It supports projects and endeavors from which we all benefit, such as hospitals, schools, libraries, museums, and scientific research to name a few; and it also supports efforts that may be too unpopular or controversial to gain the widespread support of the general public or the government. Philanthropy is important because it provides opportunities. Philanthropists do not answer to the government or to the public, so are able to freely choose the people and projects to receive their support.
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References to philanthropy can be found in the Koran, Bible, Torah, and in the teachings of many other religions and cultures, including Buddhism, Japanese and Native American cultures, and Hinduism. "Zakat," or giving, is one of the five pillars of Islam that help people become closer to God (Islam-guide.com). According to the Bible, giving is a way to honor the sacredness of each individual, as in the book of Matthew, when God says, "...Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me" (Matthew 25: 40). In the Jewish tradition, there are eight levels of charity. The highest level is helping someone to become self-sufficient, which is the definition of true philanthropy (Friedman). For generations, religious beliefs have influenced the way people think about and participate in philanthropy.
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Then we finalize with businesses that practice corporate social responsibility aimed to improve communities, the economy, or maybe the environment. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a type of business self-regulation with the aim of being socially accountable. There is no one "right" way companies can practice CSR; many corporate CSR initiatives strive to positively contribute to the public, the economy, or the environment. In today's socially conscious environment, employees and customers place a premium on working for and spending their money with businesses that prioritize CSR.
"What the public thinks of your company is critical to its success,"...
"By building a positive image that you believe in, you can make a name for your company
as being socially conscious."- Katie Schmidt
United Envoy Services begins by nurturing a culture of giving whether on an individual or corporate level. It is the right attitude that matters as much as anything. We focus on the donor or prospective donor. "It's not what your organization is selling, it's what I'm buying is what counts,". Sincerity, clarity, and a touching story can make all the difference in the world.
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Most of us are going to have to do a little work. We like people. We care about real people because they remind us of those we love and care about. Ourselves, our friends, our kids, and our communities. However, many forget that the same applies to them. We're in the relationship business. How much time do you spend getting to know your donors? It only makes sense to let your donors get to know you too!
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Tackle your next job with United Envoy, a top-quality freelancing service. Whether charitable, non-profit, political, individual, and/or corporate causes; whether you are looking for consulting services, political campaign management, writing grants, prospect researching, sponsorships, or simply assistance in your fundraising efforts, you can hire United Envoy Services to collaborate with you to achieve success!
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"One of the greatest advantages of utilizing freelancers is finding a great variety of talent with different skills and bringing on new talent quickly as our needs change."
- Carol Taylor; Director of Content Experience, Microsoft.